With every terrorist attack, Kamran Siddiqui cringes.

It's not just that he doesn't condone the attacks, but also that typical media coverage of such events makes it more difficult to be Muslim in America.

"Judge us based on the religious scripture and what it teaches rather than the acts of a few," said Siddiqui, secretary of the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley at 1988 Schadt Ave. in Whitehall.

"For me this is home," said Siddiqui, a native of Pakistan who is now an American citizen. "Our kids go to the same schools. We eat, we shop in the same places. It's important to get to know each other. Lot of the issues we face are because of misinformation."

Siddiqui said Muslim groups consistently issue press releases condemning attacks such as the one at the Boston Marathon in May. However, the media rarely reports these.

"What I know about Islam doesn't jive with what those people did," said Maureen Monaco, an Allentown native who converted to Islam in 1999. She, too, is frustrated by the fact that the religion is mentioned only when a terrorist comes from a Muslim background or proclaims to be Muslim. When non-Muslims commit crimes or acts of terror, the person's religion is not reported.

"You're under a lot of pressure because your faith is being attacked, even though your faith doesn't teach any of that," said Siddiqui. "Your side of the story doesn't get told."

"You have to be a good human being first, to be a good Muslim," said Rehana Kaleem of Allentown.

Muslim women, in particular, described the frustrations of being judged based on misconceptions about their religion.

Modesty is an important part of the Muslim faith, for both men and women. For women, it means wearing a headcovering, called a hijab, and loose clothing.

"In public, I think people do stare," said Hannah Moyer, a student at Moravian College who converted in April. "If people stare, I hope they do a little research about it. Or ask me. I love when people ask me."

Kaleem, who was born in India, remembers going to the beach with her family. When some teenage boys saw how she was dressed, one said, "Here comes the suicide bomber," she recalled.

"I was on Cedar Crest Boulevard and someone yelled 'go home.' And I'm like, I'm almost there," quipped Monaco, who still lives in Allentown.

Moyer said she has trouble getting a ride from campus to the mosque.

"I told some people on campus I needed a ride," she said, "and when they found out where, it was, like, 'Nevermind, I can't take you.'"

Kaleem, now an American citizen, dislikes being asked if she's American or Muslim.

"It's like asking, do you belong to your mother or your father?" she said.

Monaco said people seem to think of Islam as something that has to do with one's origins or skin color.

Moyer's mother, Sally, a Christian visiting the mosque for the first time in May, agreed.

"There's a tendency for people to focus on the difference instead of the commonalities in people," she said. "You see it as a cultural experience rather than a religious experience."

"It's a challenge for us because of the ignorance that's out there about us," said Nagi Latefa of Upper Macungie, president of the association. "Maybe it's our failing. Maybe we're not active enough."

As a way of reaching out to the community, the association has volunteered the mosque to serve as a polling place in Whitehall.

The group also invites public officials to celebrations and holiday events. Perhaps, he said, the group should reach out more to the public.

"We have to get our message out," said Latefa. "We have to interact more with our neighbors."

Latefa encourages anyone with any curiosity to visit the mosque.

"I think most people go out with a different attitude, more of a positive attitude when they came in."