Census Bureau officials are working with Muslim groups around the country to help convince their members to participate in the government survey.

Khalilah Sabra, a community leader in North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham area, says many Muslims are suspicious of how the census information will be used.

She says Muslims of Middle Eastern descent are especially fearful that participating will make them targets for surveillance.

Similar fears have surfaced in Muslim communities around the country. Tony Jones, a spokesman for the bureau's Charlotte office, says the agency is working with many communities and religious groups to address concerns.

He says the bureau does not share the data it gathers with any other agency.