ALBANY, Aug 24: Angry and saddened, members of a Muslim community in New York state's capital have been staying away from their mosque for fear of being labelled terrorists and await a bail hearing for two men accused of supporting terrorism.

The hearing is the second proceeding against the pair associated with an Albany mosque and arrested in an FBI sting operation. It was granted by US Magistrate David Homer after a possible translation error turned up in key evidence against them.

Yassin Aref, 34, and Mohammed Hossain, 49, were first ordered held without bail on August 10 when they pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, supporting a terrorist organization and conspiracy.

At the time, US authorities said the evidence included an address book found in what they called a terrorist training camp in northern Iraq that referred to Aref as "the commander" in Arabic. The Justice Department says FBI translators now read the word as "brother" in Kurdish.

In the wake of the translation controversy, other Muslims in Albany call the case a tragic misunderstanding. About 7,000 Muslims live in Albany and nearby towns. "I'm upset. It's racial profiling," said Abdul Malik, who worships at the small Albany mosque where Aref serves as spiritual leader. "They are honest men, good family men."

Faisal Ahmad, a teacher at the mosque, said attendance had been dwindling with many in fear of being labelled terrorists. "The saddest thing about this is it will further the whole misunderstanding about Islam," said Ahmad. "Muslims are not terrorist people. Muslims are not violent people."

The attorneys for the pair say the translation issue calls for a reexamination of the entire case amid criticism that the Bush administration's anti-terrorism policies have led authorities to leap to conclusions in cases that have fizzled or were dropped after initial high-profile announcements. Prosecutors say whether the word is "commander" or "brother" is irrelevant. -Reuters