DECATUR -- Members of the mosque in Decatur where a terrorism plot suspect offered prayer gathered Friday to condemn the acts of which he is accused and to express concern over what his arrest could do to the image of their place of worship.

Johnnie Shabazz, an imam at the Masjid Wali Hasan Mosque, spoke to reporters alongside several members of the mosque.

"We, the Muslims of Decatur, Illinois, condemn any act of terrorism, and we equally condemn those who commit terror," Shabazz said.

Michael C. Finton, 29, of Decatur is charged with attempted murder of federal employees and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. Finton was arrested Wednesday after FBI officials said he attempted to detonate what he thought was a bomb in a van he parked in front of the federal courthouse in Springfield.

The FBI provided the fake explosives as part of a two-year undercover investigation involving Finton.

Federal agents said Finton, who also called himself "Talib Islam" or "student of Islam," told undercover agents he moved to Decatur specifically to attend Masjid Wali Hasan, the city's only mosque.

Shabazz said Finton had attended the mosque once a week for about 2½ years, and conversations with him never gave worshippers any cause for suspicion or alarm. The mosque provides five-times-daily prayer service and draws worshippers from across Central Illinois.

Shabazz said he and members of his congregation were shocked by news of Finton's arrest. Citing the Quran, Shabazz said Muslims are taught not to be suspicious of one another.

"He seemed like a very congenial fellow," Shabazz said. "All we know is that he attended prayer here, and we had no reason to be suspicious of him."

Shabazz said he and members of the mosque are somewhat concerned about possible backlash from the incident but said the city and local police have rallied around the mosque in the past.

"We think we have pretty good protection already," Shabazz said. "We have a pretty good relationship with the community."

Shabazz said the mosque was never approached by law enforcement officials, and it has not been contacted since Finton's arrest.

"This is not our teaching," Imam Mohammed Farooqui said Thursday of the allegations. "We don't have that kind of belief. We never teach these kinds of things."

Vivian Laster, a tenant at the apartment building when Finton lived, said the part-time restaurant cook was amiable and didn't at all seem like a dangerous person.

"He was very nice," Laster said. "He was practicing the Muslim religion, and that's all I know. He was just a very normal person."