When students from Muslim countries come to the U.S., they may face a particularly difficult adjustment ahead. Mohamad Bashar Arafat plays a role in preparing Muslim high schoolers who come to the U.S. His organization, Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation, gives advice on a range of issues, including:

Ritual washing: Bathroom floors in the U.S. often have rugs, he reminds students, so be careful not to splash.

Dogs in the house: "In most Muslim countries," he says, "dogs are watchdogs and not pets. Students may be afraid to have dog saliva touch their hands or clothes; they fear that the saliva makes them impure." He adds, "You just need to wash, and after that you can pray."

Diet: If halal meat is not available, he points out, the Koran "allows believers to eat the food and meat of the people of the book just by saying the name of God." That is, as long as the meat in question isn't pork.

At the group's next quarterly conference, scheduled for February 2009 at the Epcot theme park in Orlando, Florida, Arafat plans to spread his group's "message of tolerance: how in America Muslims live side by side with Jews, Christians, Buddhists, people of all faiths."