Why do atheists and liberals like Islam?

[abaris]

It seems to me that all of this history is interesting and important in its own right but, in this discussion, is more a way to try to bury the harm of people believing in medieval shit.

Your failure to see the importance of history in this discussion is pretty obvious. But it makes all the difference between informed and ignorant, opinion and opinionated. If you don't even know the basics, there's only your tabloid broad brush left. And a broad brush isn't the right tool to inspire respect.