Brussels, Belgium (CNN)"It's a nightmare," says Zaki Chairi. Chairi, a 27-year old Belgian comedian who performs with a humorous theatrical group that calls itself the "Muslim Raiders," was speaking several days after a deadly gun battle erupted last week between suspected jihadists and police in the eastern Belgian town of Verviers. News of the suspected Belgian terror cell immediately sent ripples of fear through this small European country's Muslim community. "I was freaking out. Really scared," said Chairi, who fears young Belgian-born Muslims could become victims of a backlash after the raid. "My mom said no one can go out tonight because of what happened," said Camelia Lakhdar. The 19-year old waitress said her frightened mother made her skip work the night of the anti-terror raid.
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On January 15, a gun battle during a raid by police in Verviers left two Belgian citizens dead
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The suspects have been accused of involvement in an ISIS-inspired plot to target police officers
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The Muslim community fears a backlash and rise in Islamophobia that could increase radicalization
"We know that stigmatization, @placeholder, discrimination help this radicalization of young Muslim people here in Belgium."