I believe islam is no more hateful or violent than any other religion. It's mostly just that many islamic people live in the powderkeg of the middle east, and religion has an INTENSE influence on the situations there, as it always has. The Middle East had very little industrial revolution. These were mostly nomadic groups that had little intercultural communication for the most part. Europe on the otherhand, had easier travel, milder climate, more developed trade, and has been about a thousand years ahead of the middle east when it comes to that intercultural identity.
So, around the turn of the 16th or 17th century, it could be argued that nations in Europe, which were on the forefront of the crusade battles with the muslims, shifted to finding conflict in more of an economical sense, rather than religon based. By the 20th century, no war in Europe had very much to do with religion, and outside of the shitshow that was the breakup of Yugoslavia, and the religious, and more importantly ETHNIC differences among people there, almost all had to do with economic or political issues - such as communism/socialism vs. Capitalism.
Meanwhile, can you tell me that the wars between Israel, Lebanon (which has a large christian contingent), and Arab countries over the last 60/70 years have not been charged directly by religion?
This is a region that still is majorly ruled by Kings or Dictators. Sure, there's plenty of new Industry because of the demand for the resources there, and places like Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE are becoming modernized... but go back about 20 years and those places were still majorly just deserts with no ridiculous buildings, and the economic disparity was still just as high.
Look at Iran? The entire country is run by a theological identity that puts religion as the spearhead for everything. You don't really see that in the Americas, Europe, or Eastern Asia. Non-Arab Africa has some religious battles, sure.. but for the most part that continent is bleeding due to racial conflicts, tribal/ethnic conflicts, or economical issues, rather than 14th century religious bullshit.
I don't think Islam itself is an abrasive religion. I just think that the part of the world that most of them live in has allowed it to develop into a reason for conflict above most other parts of the world and their associated religious base.
Think about it this way - the Arab World just has a LOT of Tea Party rednecks...
