While you’re at it, check out Karen Armstrongs books. She was a Catholic nun and is now a prolific author on the history and origins of world religions. In particular to this discussion, see her book on Mohammad and Islam:
I’m athiestic but think calling Islam a “religion of the sword” is a naive to say the least, especially in comparison to the violence commited in cultures which are dominantly Christian or Catholic. The real crime is that our media only reports from certain perspectives which tend to bias one’s judgement. Forget the media, people! Read some history, travel, get a global perspective (yes I’ve done this including traveling all up over the middle east).
