The regular Friday prayer service at Fresno's Islamic Cultural Center focused on prayers for the innocent victims of the Boston Marathon attack. And the imam wanted to reassure the community, the Muslim faith does not condone such violence.
Seyed Ali Ghazvini said, "I'll take this opportunity to denounce any and all forms of terrorism and violence against civilians, against innocent people, basically any act of violence as we do all the time."
Along with prayers for the victims, there is concern.
Ghassane Habib said, "It puts us in a very difficult situation every time something like this happens we are afraid for our safety, for people who do not understand we have nothing to do with us."
The director of the cultural center, Ghassane Habib says whatever the motives of the Boston terrorists they do not follow the Muslim faith.
"500 from Chechnya or from any other place in the world, Muslims who decide to do something like that are not representatives, and I think most of it is a question of politics and whatever warped ideas these people have and hide behind religion," Habib said.
