If anyone thinks there is a fundamental difference between the behavior of Christians and the behavior of Muslims, I would challenge them to a deeper reading of history. And I am not only talking about the crusades, I'm talking about more contemporary history as well.
The doctrines and specific justifications for various acts vary from religion to religion, but the actions remain the same. It isn't the Koran or some quote of Muhammad that is causing violence, it is the prevailing culture in these places. Religion is just a convenient way to get everybody moving in the same direction without thinking too critically.
I say that the threat to the world isn't Islam, or even Islamic Fundamentalism, it is Fundamentalism period.
The Koran certainly has some warlike and vicious quotes, but so does the Bible. I can pull out a few gems if anybody is interested. The difference is that modern Christianity (for the most part) chooses not to take them too seriously.
The difference between us and them isn't religion, it's that we are better educated, wealthier, and we actually have something to lose. It has taken generations of free thought, free speech, and courage to bring our society to the point that it is at. It's not perfect, and sometimes we take a step backward for every two forward. But we have BUILT something here, and I don't intend to let anybody tear it apart regardless of what their cause is. I believe were always only one generation away from total collapse.
An interesting case is the Renaissance, which (as most of you know) French for the Rebirth. It was the beginning of the rebirth of art, literature, science, philosophy, etc. It's called the rebirth, and not the birth because all of the Christian world took a huge cultural step backward in the Middle Ages (aka Dark Ages). It forgot things that the Romans and Greeks had known 1000 years earlier - including some ideas about the value of human life and personal freedoms. If you think Mohammad inspires violence now, Jesus was the same back then.
Interestingly enough, most of what we recovered came via the Muslim scholars of the time. THEIRS were the libraries and stores of knowledge that allowed the Renaissance to happen.
It's also interesting to note that THEY were the tolerant ones. When Spain was under Moorish rule, the Christian and Jewish peasantry was allowed, and even encouraged to go about their lives in (relative) peace. It was good for business. With the reconquest by the Christians, all of that changed. The Muslims and the Jews were driven out, and the Christians were "purged" by the inquisition in the name of our Lord and Savior.
I think its important to remember that the Middle East used to be the home of great and educated civilizations (including after the coming of Islam). Why did all of that fall apart and degenerate into the current freakshow? I suppose it is for the same reason that Rome, Greece, Egypt, etc fell.
Maybe this post needs to be moved the "War Zone," but that's my $.02