Why do Atheists defend Islam?

[Mister Agenda]

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?

I think history has shaped the environment and culture in the middle east, and that if Islam had never existed, meaning the region would probably be dominated by Orthodox Christianity, we would probably be having the same problems if the history was otherwise the same. The women would likely still be covering their hair, too.