While many American Muslim leaders are eager to help President Barack Obama improve the image of the United States in the Arab and Islamic world, many worry that their contribution may not always be welcome, marked by suspicion that continues to keep many U.S. groups from working with the Muslim community and vice versa, with the U.S. government. “These issues are not going to go away just because we have a president now who has more understanding of the Muslim world,” said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an advocacy group based in Los Angeles. “We’ll actually be under more scrutiny now that these issues are going to be raised at the top of the Obama administration.”
