Muslims and other racial, ethnic and religious minorities heard some very harsh things said against us during the election campaign.

The FBI reports a 67 percent increase in hate crimes against American Muslim citizens in 2016. In Plano, a high school girl was traumatized when her hijab was pulled down, and the school took swift action to address the incident. At Texas A&M, a neo-Nazi-styled white nationalist gave a speech that was met with protests. A note was left on the doorsteps of many McKinney residents stating "we need to get rid of Indians, Blacks, Jews and Muslims" because they are taking away all the high-paying jobs. A growing sense of insecurity envelops many minority and Muslim families.

Fear of ISIS is understandable -- it is a group of 20,000 to 30,000 fanatical warriors. Fear of 1.6 billion Muslims and the 3 million law-abiding American Muslims is not.

Here are a few misconceptions that I would like to rebut:

ISIS and terrorism -- Muslims are massively against ISIS and what it stands for. This brutal organization has killed significantly more Muslims than anyone else. We don't support ISIS, don't want to support them or their ideology. We are as terrified of what they do as our next-door Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Sikh neighbors are. Associating American Muslims with ISIS is unfair and un-American.

Shariah law -- I was asked recently if we are here to make Shariah law the law of the land and how are we planning on doing it. Newsflash: We have no such interest or intentions. If you ask American Muslims what Shariah law is, most will not be able to answer because they don't practice it. The U.S. Constitution and civil codes are plenty good.

If you ask those who hate Muslims, they will tell you we are here to implement Shariah law and have four wives, kill the infidel and punish homosexuals. They won't tell you that part of the Shariah advises to give to charity, take care of your neighbor, do justice to all, reject racism, do not kill. But anything good about Islam is drowned out in the loud noise.

The hijab -- I would guess that no more than 5 percent of American Muslims wear the hijab. Most don't. It is not a religious requirement but has grown as a form of identity and culture over the years. If someone wants to wear it, let them. The niqab (the ninja-warrior looking face covering) is definitely not Islamic; it is medieval. The burqa, the full-body covering for women, has no roots in Islam. It is archaic, and most Muslims abhor it. Hijabs, niqabs and burqas are about identity, not piety.

Rights of our fellow men -- Lost amid the ISIS killings we have gotten used to seeing on TV is the fact that rights of others and equality are paramount for Muslims -- practices not seen widely in some Muslim countries, unfortunately. Prophet Mohammed in his last sermon said to treat women well, there is no superiority of Arabs over non-Arabs, and there is no superiority of whites over blacks but by piety and good actions.

Kill the infidel -- This battle cry, frequently used to incite hatred of Muslims, is most egregious. Muslims have been living in the West for hundreds of years. I cannot recall the last time Muslims were seen killing their infidel neighbors. In fact, Muslims as a group have one of the lowest crime rates and the highest education rates in the U.S. If we were so inspired by this battle cry, you would see a lot of us shooting a lot of others.

This is not to say that the Muslim world does not need to reform and to adopt stronger secular values. It does. I'm a Texan who's lived in the U.S. for 31 years, and my worst offense has been a speeding violation: Won't you trust me as your neighbor and not give in to the harsh hype about us?

This is America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our ideals are rooted in justice and liberty for all. Anything less would be disappointingly un-American.

Zulfi Ahmed is an insurance executive living in Plano. Email: zsahmed11@aol.com