When a rock broke a window of the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities four months ago, other Tri-City congregations sent more than enough money to replace the window of the West Richland mosque.

That's the sort of outpouring of support that Tri-City Muslims have seen in the decade following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Some Tri-City Muslims feel as if they were attacked on two fronts, as Americans concerned for their country and with their faith becoming a target.

"We are people of peace," said Dr. Kaleem Ullah of Richland, a 30-year member of the center. "Islam teaches peace, and our Prophet Mohammad was a messenger of peace."

Those who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks were fanatics, said Shafik Rifaey of Richland, a 35-year member of the center. They are not welcome in their own countries and do not represent the beliefs of the estimated 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, he said.

After all, in Islam, to kill one person is to kill the world in God's eyes, said Rifaey, a retired mechanical and nuclear engineer with Energy Northwest and Hanford.

Still, Ullah, a retired mechanical engineer at Hanford, said post-9/11 has seen the rise of an anti-Islam cottage industry, with Islamophobic literature and websites rapidly increasing.

The anti-Islamic statements, stereotypes, misinterpretation and misinformation is what Ullah said concerns him the most.

On the national level, Rep. Peter King, R-New York, has been leading a campaign to carry out what Ullah describes as a "witch hunt investigation" of Muslims and has been outspoken in demonizing American Muslims. And he isn't alone.

Ullah said he worries such rhetoric will divide communities, encourage hatred and bigotry and create a negative stereotype of the Muslim community.

Many American Muslims are good citizens who contribute to the community, he said.

And although most of the misinformation is happening on a nationwide scale, some has reached the Tri-Cities.

Hassan Ziada of Kennewick, a 21-year member of the center, pointed to a March meeting where the Tri-Cities Tea Party invited Shahram Hadian -- a former Muslim who is now a Christian minister in Everett -- to speak about the "threat" of Islam.

What Ziada and other Muslims took issue with was not that Hadian changed religions, but how what he said about Islam was not found in the Quran or the teachings of Islam.

Ziada said the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities asked the tea party to allow them an equal chance to speak. Organizers have not responded, he added.

Regardless, the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities strives to build relationships and understanding among other faith groups in the area. It was an effort the center started in 1993, but Ullah said it's become more of an emphasis post 9/11.

The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities helped start interfaith gatherings in early 1990s, and since then the gatherings have grown to include many regional churches. The latest annual gathering included about 15 Christian churches and synagogues, Ullah said.

Pastor Daniel Rieke of Lord of Life Lutheran in Kennewick said the interfaith meetings are important to help break down stereotypes. When people have a chance to listen, they can realize how many things they have in common, he said.

Whether Muslim, Christian or Jew, Rieke said people can find support in their faith for peace.

The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities also holds potlucks on the second Saturday of each month at 6:30 p.m., open both to members and the whole community.

The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities has about 700 members, which has grown with refugees, Ullah said. Members represent more than 23 ethnicities.

Yehia Ibrahim of West Richland, a six-year member of the center and a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist, said 9/11 sparked some Muslims to speak up for themselves.

And Ziada, a Hanford mechanical engineer, said they have seen people come to the center to find out more about Islam.

Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews, Ziada said. The Quran, and the parts of the Torah (The Old Testament) and Injil (the New Testament) that were revealed to Moses and Jesus by God, are holy documents sent to the prophets. Muslims believe in the prophets, such as Noah, Moses, Jesus, and the Prophet Mohammad.

There are many similarities between the three faiths, and maybe 3 percent differences, Rifaey said. But it is the differences that some people focus on, even within their own religion.

And Ullah said part of the problem is some Muslims aren't knowledgeable about their own religion. That can lead to misinterpretation, he said.

For example, Islam does not allow killing of innocents, suicide bombing or terrorism.

"I am baffled how these folks justify their actions which are not authorized in Islam," Ullah said.

So, he said he prays that God will give guidance to those who are misinformed and lead them to the right path and truth.