A dubai based social media consultant Iyad El-Baghdadi tweeted:

Went to my "Islamists" list; good to know that most comments are sympathetic. Only a couple crazies out of 200-something. #BostonMarathon

— Iyad El-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) April 15, 2013

Qasim Rashid, the chairman of the Muslim Writer’s Guild of America, said:

As a Marathoner and Human being, I'm devastated. Prayers to the victims. #BostonMarathon

— Qasim Rashid (@MuslimIQ) April 15, 2013

He also added:

Whoever the culprit, no religion justifies this act of violence. We must remain united against extremism. #BostonMarathon

— Qasim Rashid (@MuslimIQ) April 15, 2013

Nervana Mahmoud, a UK citizen, who often writes on the Middle East, tweeted:

Fact: Terrorism has no religion, race, or nationality. Standing against terror should unit us all. #BostonExplosion #BostonMarathon

— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) April 15, 2013

The Boston blasts were a grim reminder of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre, following which America started associating bombing attacks on US citizens with Muslim extremists. Meanwhile, the please don't be Muslim tweet continues to draw reactions from the Twitteratti.

Marwan @iMarwan, a Twitter user from Dhaka tweeted:

Why is it whenever there's a terrorist attack, I find myself praying: PLEASE don't let the morons who did this happen to be Muslim!

— Marwan (@iMarwan) April 16, 2013

Mr Dick Coughlan @coughlan616 tweeted:

Muslims are now condemning terrorist acts BEFORE we even know a muslim did it & yet certain people will still deny it washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldvie…

— Mr Dick Coughlan (@coughlan616) April 15, 2013

Huma Yusuf, a Pakistani columnist, policy analyst and media researcher, tweeted:

Sigh, don't we all know the feeling: Please don't be a Muslim; dread in Muslim World #Boston washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldvie…

— Huma Yusuf (@humayusuf) April 15, 2013

I am not the only one who feels this.‘Please don’t be a Muslim’ #BostonMarathon washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldvie…

— Nora Amath (@NoraAmath) April 15, 2013

"The thought of every Muslim: Please don't be a Muslim" #bostonmarathon m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldvie…

— Azim Shariff (@azimshariff) April 16, 2013

Some of the tweets are likely to be fuelled by earlier reports alleging a Saudi Arabian national, who could be a suspect in the attack, was being guarded by the police. However, these reports have not yet been confirmed.