Islam: Peace-loving religion or excuse for genocide?

I am no Islamic scholar, but it seems there's a lot of rhetoric that Islam is like any other religion: that it teaches peace, and terrorists that preach a violent version of Islam are preaching things the religion doesn't.

Certainly the basic tenets of Islam (The "Five Pillars") seem admirable enough:

• Declaring Faith (Shahadah) - Muslims recite a simple creed: "There is no god except Allah; and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah."
• Prayer (Salat) - Muslims pray five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night.
• Charity (Zakat) - Each year, Muslims donate a portion (2.5%) of their annual income to help the less fortunate.
• Fasting (Saum) - The month of Ramadan on the Islamic calendar is a month of fasting for Muslims.
• Pilgrimage (Hajj) - Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

But delving deeper into the Islamic religion reveals more.  The term "Jihad" ("holy war") all over the news is a call to all Muslims by Allah to over-come, even kill non-Muslims.  The Encarta states:

Jihad, in Islam, the spiritual struggle against evil. Jihad is the duty of all mainstream Muslims, or Sunnites. There are four ways they may fulfill a jihad: by the heart, the tongue, the hand, and the sword. These refer to the inner, spiritual battle of the heart against vice, passion, and ignorance; spreading the word of Islam with one's tongue; choosing to do good and avoiding evil with one's hand; and waging war against non-Muslims with the sword.  But Islamic law also states that all nations must surrender to Islamic rule, if not its faith. Until that time, all adult, male, and able-bodied Muslims are expected to take part in hostile jihads against non-Muslim neighbors and neighboring lands. The Qur'an [Koran] states that those who die in this type of jihad automatically become martyrs of the faith and are awarded a special place in heaven.

That special place in heaven includes many virgins, something undoubtedly denied here on earth because the Muslim convention of having up to 4 wives for every husband ensures there are 3 men around with little hope of having a wife.  What hope do they have but to commit suicide during Jihad to satisfy their longings?

Jihad in General in the Koran

He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of Truth that He may make it prevail over all religions. [48:28]

He it is who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the true religion, that He may make it overcome the religions, all of them, though the polytheists may resist. [61:9]

And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you but be not aggressive. Surely Allah loves not the aggressors. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight you in it, so if they do fight you, then slay them. Such is the recompense of the unbelievers. But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion is only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors. [2:191-193]

So when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters, wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And if anyone of the idolaters seek thy protection, grant him protection till he hears the word of Allah, and then convey him to his place of safety. This is because they are a people who know not. [9:5,6]

Jews and Christians in Particular in the Koran

And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. These are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before. Allah's curse upon them! [9:30]

O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends of each other. And whoever amongst you takes them for friends he indeed is one of them. Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. [5:51]

There is a mitigating passage that is ignored by the terrorists:

Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. [2:62]

Anti-Christian/Trinity in the Koran:

Certainly they disbelieve who say: Allah is the third of the three. And there is no God but One God. And if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement will surely befall such as them as disbelieve. [5:73]

The belief is that the message in the Koran is uncorrupted (and incorruptible), unlike the messages in the Torah and the Christian Bible.

Conclusion

It is easy to see that Jews and Christians, indeed all non-Muslims have much to fear from the adherents to Islam.  While many Muslims are non-violent, peaceful, and loving people, the Koran calls on all Muslims to dominate all of the world's other religions, even killing their followers.

More Information:

Islam in Encarta
The Koran on-line in searchable form.  See for yourself.