Earlier this year, I attended an event with former House speaker Newt Gingrich, despite knowing of his stereotypical attitude towards Muslims. I realized then the power of one voice to change people's prejudices – and how rarely people like me use ours: I was the first Muslimah to whom he had ever spoken.

Yes, I am Muslim, and I am a Republican – and that's why I was at the Heritage Foundation panel on Benghazi last month, where I asked the now-infamous question about how conservatives deal with the vast majority of people of my faith who are peaceful. Americans don't expect minorities – especially Muslims – to be Republicans, and it happens often in conservative circles that I am the only Muslim woman in the audience.

I became Republican because I felt that my Islamic values – pro-life, pro-traditional family, pro-business, pro-trade – aligned best with the Republican party platform. I identified as a Democrat for several years when I was younger, but found it hard to defend liberal values as they were so often in conflict with my deeply-held beliefs.

Though I have been a Republican for a long time – and despite having had a tough time with my fellow Republicans in Oregon, where I lived until 2012 – I joined the Washington DC Republican Party earlier this year. They have all been kind and welcoming to me at their meetings, events and fundraisers, and I have made good friends in the GOP.

So the personal attacks by conservatives after my question at the Heritage event went viral came as somewhat of a surprise – though the support from the Republicans who reached out to me did not. As one of the few lobbyists among the 10,000 on Capitol Hill who is a practicing Muslim, I regularly attend congressional hearings bashing "Islamists", but I didn't expect to be called one of them.

But the fear, arrogance and ignorance displayed by people like Brigette Gabriel (whose angry response to my question at Heritage sparked the online backlash) are simply attitudes whose time is passing. Their tactics may have worked to play on the fears of Americans and spur further prejudice and divisiveness immediately after 9/11 in the US, but after 14 years of wars and 57,000+ American killed or wounded, the American public is ready for answers from peaceful Muslims and intelligent Christians alike.

I was born and raised as a Muslimah and, though I don't consider myself an Islamic scholar or expert by any means, I do know that my faith teaches peace, justice and humanity. It hurts me deeply when I see people misusing my religion – both against my fellow Americans, and against me personally.

Islam comes from the word salaam, which means peace, and my community can – and must – use the peaceful teachings of Islam to end radical terrorism. We are taught to deal kindly and justly with non-Muslims (60:8), that killing one innocent human being is like killing all of humanity (5:32), and that God can grant love and friendship between us and those who hold themselves out as our enemies (60:7) – teachings that are not so different from those learned by Christians.

Jesus, too, exhorted his followers to love their enemies – which sometimes seems to have been forgotten in conservative policy discussions, especially when it comes to people of my faith.

I exercise my rights and freedoms as an American in both my mosque and in Republican politics – and hope to have other conservative Muslims join me, and for our voices heard through civic engagement. We can provide a counter-narrative to both the conservatives who denigrate Muslims and those who wish to paint us at little more than victims – and, inshallah, help end terrorism.

For example, on Independence Day, you will find me both fasting for Ramadan and walking as part of the District of Columbia Republican Party at the Annual Independence Day Parade in Washington DC. It is one way to celebrate the peace for which my religion asks, and the love of country my patriotism demands.