No, I was not "subjective" about Mohammed and Islam. I was quoting historical fact about both. Mohammed is the example for Muslims to live by and his example is one of violence and intolerance and sexual obsession. He participated in murdering hundreds of men who refused to convert to his new religion. Islam was spread by the sword at the behest of Mohammed and the Qu'ran - "Kill unbelievers wherever you find them"(Sura 2:191). Muslims talk about the Christian Crusaders but they were no different and were actually far worse. They spread their religion across the whole Middle East forcing previously Christian and other peoples to convert, and across the whole of north Africa up into southern France, Spain, Christian Constantinople, and through the Christian Balkans into Hungary, turning churches they didn't burn into mosques etc. All with the sword.

In contrast to this Jesus taught to turn the other cheek and forsake violence, for those without sin to cast the first stone against other sinners, to love your enemy and your neighbor as yourself etc. Christianity spread under great persecution bu word of mouth very rapidly because of its message of love and hope. It wasn't spread by force. The later so-called "Christians" who acted in violence were not following the teachings and example of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. There is a big difference between Jesus and Mohammed. There is no excuse for the violence and intolerance of later "Christians" who bear little resemblance to the One they claim to believe in. Christianity is a very hard way of life to follow, going against Man's innate violent and selfish nature. There never have been many true Christians, but current European civilzation which, along with a few other countries, has become the leader in the world for human and civil rights and tolerance is based on the teachings of Jesus, though more and more Europeans reject religion. The EU proposed a UN charter to ban the discrimination against homosexual people around the world and it was opposed by all Muslim countries and the Rightwing, fundamentalist Old Testament "Christians" of the US Bush administration (who voted more often with the Muslim countries on UN treaties than with the EU). That may change now with Obama, we'll see.

Mohammed based much of his Qu'ran on the Old Testament scriptures of the many Jews who lived around him and he adopted many of their rituals, dietary laws and attitudes. Thus the Qu'ran is similar to the OT in many ways, though the god of the Qu'ran is even more angry and vengeful than the god of the OT. BUT modern day Jewish religion has advanced in its thinking and no longer holds those ancient intolerant and violent tribal beliefs, except for a minority of fundamentalists.

Comparing the small area the Jews want for their homeland to what radical Muslims want for theirs is like comparing rocks to peaches. First of all Israel was the Jewish homeland for centuries (granted they took it first from some one else) and where their holy temple was located until they were driven out a long time ago, but have always yearned to return. The homeland that the radical Muslims want to "reclaim" is a huge stretch of land that they once had taken by force, such as Andaluz Spain, but were eventually driven out of. They have no right to claim this land, and the people who have always lived there do not want them back. They had been Islamic Crusaders forcing their way by the sword into lands that were not Arab even, let alone Muslim. There is no comparison here, they have absolutely zero right of claim to any of these lands.

I now live in Spain where many Moroccans live and everyone has the freedom to worship as they choose, or not. New mosques are being built here and we have a new Buddhist temple nearby. However no Muslim country offers the same tolerance and complete freedom of religion as exists in Western countries with a basis in Christian philosophy. No Muslim country that I know of allows Muslims to convert to another faith or simply to renounce Islam except on pain of death (7 Muslim countries) or prison. Those Muslim countries that allow Christians and Jews to worship do not allow them to build new houses of worship - even Turkey who wants to become a member of the EU! Seven Muslim countries, the only ones who do, have the death penalty for people born with a homosexual orientation. This is so out of touch with modern scientific knowledge and democratic thinking it is unacceptable to enlightened people. It certainly is not the way of a religion of peace and tolerance, that Muslims constantly claim theirs is, without any evidence to back that up.

No, you cannot compare Islam with Christianity or Judaism today. There is no comparison. I do not believe in any religion. I believe religion, whatever brand it is, separates people from their loving and accepting Creator. So much of what passes itself off as religion is just plain blasphemy - claiming to speak for the Creator and portraying the Creator as a vengeful, hate-filled demon rather than the Parent of us all who offers us total and unconditional love and welcome when we return to that Creator.

God does not need any man to speak for God. God created us all with an inner voice, a conscience, through which God communicates with each of us. To deny this and to teach that all the many prophets through time, who often contradict each other and preach a God of vengeance who revels in hurling God's own creation and offspring into eternal torment and suffering, speak as mouthpieces for that loving God, is the utmost evil that has been perpetrated on the human race, ever. This I believe, and the longer I live and the more I see of religion, particularly Islam, the more I am convinced of this.

I welcome you to give substantive proofs against my previous statements. I have asked for that, but as you see, no one has been able to do so because they do not exist. There is a reason that Muslim countries do not allow anyone to question or criticize Mohammed or his religion - they, neither one, can withstand an objective appraisal and survive. Truth, no matter what, is not afraid of question or criticism.

There you go again with your hateful wrathful god doling out punishments right and left.

I'm still waiting for any of you deluded Muslims to come up with some real "intellectual substance" in your defense of this medieval religion. You're great on threats and curses yet you cannot offer any "intellectual substance" to back up your claims. Maybe you should actually read your Qu'ran in your own language and really see what it says. I've read it and found it to be a mish-mash of contradictions and very non-spiritual rantings and bigotry. It is awfully petty to be the exact words of the Creator of this world and the parent of us all. It does no good for all the Muslim children to be made to memorize the Qu'ran in Arabic if they do not understand what they are saying, does it? Does your god only speak Arabic? And why would he pick that language when there were much more advanced civilizations in the world at the time of Mohammed he could have spoken to?

Silly.

We don't allow any insulting or hateful attacks on The Observers. We only want to see comments that bring something productive to the debate. Comments deemed hateful and worthless will be deleted.

You certainly don't mind that a "devious minority" of Muslims are trying to dictate to Western countries majorities on how they must be run. Muslims in Christian Germany are demanding that Islam be taught in German schools! How devious is that? You certainly wouldn't allow Christianity or any other religion to be taught in any Muslim country schools, would you? You don't even allow anyone to question Islam, Mohammed, the Qu'ran or any other Islamic teaching. No wonder Muslim countries are so backward and intolerant with this medieval religion forced down everyone's throats without question.

Lets see
The Crusades, the inquisitions, WWI, WWII, vietnam war, Korean war, Hirochima, Nagasaki, Grenada, destruction of the ottoman empire, Colonialism of Africa, Middle East/Palestine, India, Burma, China, massacre of the American indians, Chechnya, Sudan, Iraq, Kashmir, Afganistan, Algerian war.
Now which one of the above wars was initiated by muslims?.
Please read and read again, don't watch CNN, or even better get rid of your TV, because a mind is a terrible thing to waste!.