Islam is a religion which originated in the violence of the Arabia desert. The violence is integral to it in the home, in the relation with non-Muslims, in relation to apostasy, in the sharia. Unlike any other modern religion death is judged tobe the right response to criticism, to 'blasphemy', to dishonour, to religious disagreement (Shia and Sunni kill each other readily.The peaceful Muslim lives within a culture which accepts al these forms of violence, from beating the woman or child in the home, threatening newspaper cartoonists with death, murdering indiscriminately in Iraq or Pakistan, killing judicially in Saudi Arabia.

Violence is inherent in Muslim missionary action and in reacting to the heretic.

Where does this pattern of violence come from in modern Islam? Why have the barbarities of Arabia a thousand years ago survived or revived in the present? The other distinctive aspect of Islam is its treatment of sexuality. It is an arrogantly machismo religion, fearing the disorder which may result from the sexual drive which is the central part of human evolutionary behaviour - the fear of the free woman. The burkha and the honour rules, the honour killings here in England are not to protect women but to protect men against the violence of their sexual frustration.

Assuming your description of Islam is correct, is it all that different from Christianity a few centuries ago where heretics and non-believers were burned for being witches, the Inquisition used violence and torture, the Crusaders massacred in the name of God, and women were second class citizens?

It's religion that's the poison, not Islam specifically.

True....But greed is a bigger evil.Humans are not satisfied with one life,that is why they are so willing to trade a portion of this life(prayer,church,fasting,sacrifices..etc,etc)for life after death..an anachronism if ever there was one!
What really beats me is how people believe it,but it is up to them,as long as I don't get a Mosque built near me,with some self important bloke bellowing out in a foreign language that I need to go & pray.When I'm dead I won't know.I can think of nothing worse than being in 'heaven' watching all my love ones having a ball without me.But I am assured by our Muslim advisers that GOD is gona kick my sorry ....!