Why do Atheists defend Islam?

[CapnAwesome]

Not to mention South America, where I come from. It's also a 3rd world continent with corrupt governments, drug problems, education problems, and lots of poverty. But we don't get Catholic people over there (since it is mostly very Catholic) running around the streets constantly killing each other in the name of Jesus. To say all this nonstop bloodshed has nothing to do with the fundamental nature of Islam is just dishonest.

That's South America. Different times and environments yield different patterns of behaviour. You want recent examples where Christians have killed in the name of Jesus, there's the Middle East (and specifically Lebanon, if you want a specific example). Even after the civil war long gone in Lebanon, Christian party members still have not gotten over their lust to fight and kill, and they have certainly done so "in the name of Jesus". For the record, in Lebanon, there is not much difference in privilege and rights between Christians and Muslims. And so it makes sense they do not really behave all that differently from each other there. Even Hizballah is not more extreme than, say, Lebanese Forces or SSNP (both Christian groups).

You don't think that Islam has shaped the environment and culture of the middle east?