DAR AL HARB - U.S.A.: BY 2015 3-4 MOSLEM CONGRESSMEN & AT LEAST 30 MAYORS

Muslims gaining strength in United States: cleric
By Andrew Hammond

RIYADH (Reuters) - Muslims are steadily improving their position in U.S. society, contrary to the media image of a community besieged by suspicions of links to militants, a leading U.S. Muslim cleric said on Sunday.

Yahya Hendi, a prayer leader who teaches at Georgetown University, said the September 11 attacks on U.S. cities in 2001 had spurred Americans to know more about Islam and Muslims to affirm their U.S. identity.

"I think the future is bright, because of our wisdom in dealing with the reality," Hendi, a Palestinian by birth, told a gathering of Saudi academics on a visit to Saudi Arabia.

"There are serious efforts being made among the second and third generation to become part of the political establishment. The challenge we face is in the media and from some Christian extremists who don't want an Islamic presence in America."

Hendi said U.S. Muslims, whose number he put at 7 to 9 million, were working on "nationalising" Islam as part of the fabric of U.S. society, including cutting funding links to Muslim countries.

"Last year we elected the first Muslim to Congress and I expect that by 2015 there will be three or four as well as at least 30 mayors," he said, adding there were now 400 Muslim lawyers in the United States compared to nine before September 11.

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