The fourth of July is supposed to be the most patriotic day for the Americans, but this isn't the case for the country's six million Muslims, who believe that the word "patriot" has taken on a more vague meaning since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, according to an article on the BBC.

Many American Muslims are being unfairly targeted by the U.S. Patriot Act, which was enforced after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The law grants the U.S. government many powers, including phone tapping search warrants as well as surveillance of bank accounts, internet records and even library lending lists.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has reported several civil liberty abuse cases since the enforcement of the Patriot Act.

The U.S.-based civil rights group said it received 1,522 reports of abuse in 2004, adding that the number of unreported cases is likely to be far higher.

CAIR also says that the implementation of the Patriot Act has been linked with abuses and hate crimes against Muslims.

It notes that the law led to harassment by banks and financial institutions. For example, people with Muslim or Arab names are being arbitrarily requested to provide detailed documentation of their identities as well as financial and tax records.

Jameel Jaffer, litigation director for the American Civil Liberties Union, believes the Patriot Act has alienated members of the Arab and Muslim communities, who are afraid to express their opinions in case they're branded "extremists".

Many ordinary Americans are now joining the protest against an over-zealous use of the law.

The U.S. Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner criticizes law enforcement agencies for prosecuting "soft" targets.

"If you look at terrorist prosecutions by government, most do not involve national security," he said.

"Some that do involve people who were caught and prosecuted possibly because they were incompetent and talked a lot and were not necessarily serious threats."