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At the quiet Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring where even the holy leader is said to avoid unnecessary attention, worshippers say they are facing constant news trucks at the front gates and a fear of retaliation against Muslims in a post-9/11 world.

When Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a Muslim U.S. Army psychiatrist, allegedly opened fire on a crowd of people at Fort Hood in Texas Nov. 5, killing 13 people, Islam has been once again thrown into the spotlight as Americans try to understand the violence behind Hasan's outburst.

"I don't think it's right to relate it to his religion, because people do crazy things regardless of their religion, whether they're Christian, Jewish, whatever," said Imam Mohamed Abdullahi, the center's holy leader.

"Why is it that whenever Muslims are involved in a crime, it's because of religion?" asked Arshad Qureshi, chairman of the center's board of trustees. "It's a double standard."

It's a double standard that center members are quick to dismiss, with worshippers such as center member Abdoulah Oyola bringing up other crimes, such as the recent discovery of 10 bodies and a human skull at a Cleveland sex offender's home. These crimes aren't linked to religion, he said.

Some members questioned how Hasan could even commit such an act, saying they question the reported accounts of what happened.

"To this day, I'm still not convinced this man did it," Oyola said. "I can't fathom it. I [used to] see this man every day." He questioned how Hasan could have fired so many shots during the attack without stopping to reload.

But the fear of vandalism, threats and other hate crimes lingers at the center and among many Muslims in the county.

At the center's regular Friday services, Abdullahi spoke out against hate crimes, saying he had heard from one person who received a threatening phone call. Non-Muslim Debbie Shankman, who regularly attends services at the Muslim Community Center, said one of her friends at the center told her she would not go to service Friday because she and her husband were scared.

"Suddenly, you're worried about everything happening again like in 9/11, and that's a frightening prospect," she said.

For Montgomery County Muslim Council member Irma Hafeez, the news that Hasan was Muslim sounded like a broken record.

"I thought, ‘Oh my God, not again,'" she said. "Finally after 9/11, after so many years, we think it's coming to an end, then something like this happens and brings back all the anxieties and fears people have against Muslims."

This time, though, it's different, Hafeez said. Immediate statements from the Islamic Center of Washington and other Islamic groups were sent out, denouncing his purported attacks. The Muslim community learned to be more involved in the community and proactive about speaking out against violence.

Officials from the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg released a statement cautioning Muslims to be careful when visiting religious facilities or wearing clothing associated with Islam. The center also recommended that parents discuss the shooting with their children and what to do if they experience harassment at school.

"The community has expressed a lot of anguish and is apprehensive," said Nadeem Ahmad, chairman of the ICM board of trustees. "Religious affiliation will come into [discussions about the shooting], naturally, but it's the exploitation and the generalizations that are a problem."

As much as Muslim communities say they fear for the worst, many say they are overwhelmed by the support they have received over the past week.

"I think the media, the government and our military were very positive about this," Abdullahi said. The center hasn't received any threats, he added, "but you have to understand, after 9/11, everybody is scared."

On the Muslim Community Center Web site, messages of support are posted by concerned neighbors who say they know Islam is a religion of peace. While some Muslims remain fearful of retaliation, Abdullahi said messages like these offer hope for improved interfaith relations, echoing the thoughts of other Muslim leaders.

"There have actually been more expressions of support in the past rather than these isolated incidents [of hate crimes]," Ahmad said of the Islamic Center of Maryland. "The problem is that one incident can cause a lot of harm."

Staff Writers Bradford Pearson and Meghan Tierney contributed to this report.