Muslim American organizations have launched what they say will be the most comprehensive survey of mosques in the United States in a decade.

“This is the biggest mosque survey since 9/11,” said Ihsan Bagby, an Islamic studies professor at the University of Kentucky, who is leading this survey and worked on the last one, in 2000.

The survey will again provide figures for the number of U.S. mosques and the number of Muslims associated with those and attempt to ascertain the status of women in them.

New questions will focus on radicalization and whether it is considered a growing problem in Muslim communities.

The survey is sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America and six other Muslim groups.

Researchers intend to call leaders of 600 mosques with questions between this month and September. Bagby hopes at least 500 leaders will respond. Final results are expected in February.

— Religion News Service

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071605762.html