WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — In the wake of New Orleans attack on New Year's Day, where 14 people lost their life tragically, concerns are growing among Muslim Americans about misrepresentation of Islam and Muslims. KSN takes a look into how the Wichita Muslim community is responding to educate, empower and enable a better understanding of their religion. Shahd Seyam, Youth Leader of Islamic Society of Wichita says, "being a Muslim is peaceful." Seyam refers to Islam as a blessing, helping her lead a simple and truthful life. "I thank God every day that I was like chosen and born into Islam," said Seyam. Gehad Qaki looks at Islam as guidance. Qaki says, "It's a blueprint for everything I do." Both say their religion is often misrepresented and targeted in America. "There's a generalization that occurs and a mis-association happens between an individual who made a decision and an entire 2-billion-person religion getting associated with that action," said Qaki. Since the New Orleans attack, Muslim Americans are feeling a spike in ant-Muslim rhetoric, a pattern common since the 9/11 attacks, casting suspicion on the Muslim community. The 2023 FBI hate crime statistics stated between 2022 to 2023, anti-Muslim hate crimes rose by more than 49 percent. "No human life should be taken like that, especially from it's just such a reckless person who honestly has nothing to do with what our religion truly is about," said Seyam. "There's a lot of things that I've heard my entire life that I just at this point, I find them funny because it's really rooted in the lack of knowledge and the lack of understanding," said Qaki. So, both encourage the community to engage with Muslim Americans and learn more about Islam and the Quran before making a judgement. Seyam says, "the best way to respond is to truly just be a correct Muslim." She adds, "And that just proves to the world how peaceful Islam really is and that the people who do stuff like that are not a part of us, are not a part of what Islam truly is." Leading by example, so that the younger generation can feel confident and secure in their identity, their religion. "All we can do is be good examples, be good community members, be good Wichitans, be good Americans, be good neighbors," said Qaki. "I think they're truly more accepting and are a lot more understanding than the generations that are older than us. So I think that gives me hope," said Seyam. A hope, for a future of acceptance and integration. "I see kids who are really profoundly American, but also profoundly Muslim. And I think that's a really unique thing," said Qaki. To learn more about the Islam Society of Wichita, you can visit the website.