While some Muslims in New York have expressed concern for the families and friends of TWA Flight 800 victims, they said they are hoping that Americans don't jump to conclusions and blame the Islamic community.

"We offer our heart-felt condolences to the family and loved ones of the victims," said Dr. Shaik Ubaid, of the Islamic Circle of North America based in Jamaica, a non-profit Muslim organization that says its purpose is to educate the public about Islam.

Contrary to President Bill Clinton's statements urging people not to speculate on the cause of the disaster, many have begun to do just that. The day after the crash, numerous news accounts featured anti-terrorim experts, many of whom cited Middle Eastern terrorists as the prime suspects.

"Nothing has been established, so we shouldn't jump to conclusions," said Ubaid, one of several Muslim leaders who fear that the public is jumping to the conclusion that the jumbo jet exploded Wednesday evening because of a terrorist bomb, and that the terrorist is Muslim.

Muslim leaders also fear that this speculation will lead to a backlash against the Muslim community as it did in Oklahoma, where Muslim families were harassed before it became known that the suspects in the bombing of the federal building were American.

"That would be a tragedy of America being uneducated. To apply guilt by association is wrong. To blame the Muslim community is wrong," said Dr. M.T. Mehdi, of the Arab-American Relations Committee.

The fear that many Muslims have of being the target of public outrage is not unfounded - or unprecedented. In the hours following last year's Oklahoma City bombing, Middle Eastern terrorists were the chief suspects. "Muslims were accused of the bombing before we got all the facts, just like now," Ubaid said. "This time I hope their are no hate crimes."