SHAHZAD AHSAN: It hit me strongly because I saw my father getting out of our car, covered head to toe in soot and the World Trade Center. I was looking at my father almost dead, and I couldn't understand why people would hate Muslims when they were victims of the attack as well.

LAWTON: Many Muslims say they've been unnerved by statements by some prominent religious leaders, including evangelist Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, who has generated controversy for saying the Qur'an justifies violence against non-Muslims.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM (from RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY interview): The Qur'an does teach it. It is there. You can read it for yourself.

LAWTON: Ingrid Mattson says she sees parallels between Franklin Graham's view of Islam and Osama bin Laden's.

Professor MATTSON: If you compare statements about what Islam is and what Muslims believe, you'll find they are almost identical. And I reject both interpretations, both those, you know, the non-Muslims who are saying that Islam justifies violence against Christians and Jews and the Muslims who are saying it.

Imam YAHYA HENDI (Georgetown University): Muslims in America are very frustrated with the way Islam has been portrayed. Muslims do not see Islam as a religion of violence. On the contrary, Muslims believe Islam is a religion of peace that teaches forgiveness and love.

LAWTON: Over the past year, Imam Yahya Hendi has visited numerous churches to explain his faith and build bridges.

Imam HENDI (Sermon): Let us join hands, let us join efforts, and let us work together as sailors led by the three captains, Moses, Jesus Christ, and Muhammad.

LAWTON: He's encouraging other Muslims to follow suit.

Imam HENDI: We are misunderstood, and therefore, the challenge has been how we can reintroduce ourselves in a language that is familiar with our fellow American neighbors.

LAWTON: But Hendi and other leaders acknowledge that American Muslims need to do more to condemn extremist interpretations of their faith.

Imam HENDI: What I would challenge on the [television] screen here [is for] moderate Muslims to speak up more than ever before. Even if they have been, we need to be more active. We need to educate our fellow neighbors about the truth of Islam, but we also need to educate about Islam our fellow Muslims, who might not understand what the religion is all about.

Professor MATTSON: Muslims have really needed to think about what they believe, what's the [essence] of their beliefs. Are they willing to stand up for them in the face of both Muslims who use violence in the name of Islam, and on the other hand, other people who are distorting our religion for their own reasons?

LAWTON: At a recent meeting of the American Muslim Council, law professor Azizah al-Hibri urged the community to focus less on foreign affairs and more on being good neighbors and wise, well-informed leaders.

Professor AL-HIBRI: We have not been good Muslims, let's face it. And if we don't start with ourselves and if we just blame the others, we're not going to go anywhere.

LAWTON: Many say the current difficulties have helped the American Muslim community mature. Scholar Karen Armstrong urged Muslims to draw from their traditions to keep moving forward.

KAREN ARMSTRONG (Author, ISLAM, in speech): The Prophet was always going forward. This is not a time, as you know, to retreat in fear. It's a time to take the opportunity of a tragedy, of a struggle, of a horror, to grow.

LAWTON: In upstate New York, Aziz Ahsan says since 9/11, he's felt a renewed sense of responsibility to his local Muslim community. He's been speaking about Islam and writing editorials for the local paper.

He says the American Muslim community must become firmly rooted here -- for its own sake and, more importantly, for the sake of the next generation.

Mr. AZIZ: We are proud to be Muslims, we are proud to be Americans, and we are proud American Muslims. So we want our children to be proud.

LAWTON: Ahsan may still carry traces of the World Trade Center in his eyes, but he says all American Muslims carry a piece of 9/11 in their hearts. He just wishes other Americans would believe it.

I'm Kim Lawton in upstate New York.