[ItalianStereotype]

I'm not saying that Islam "came out" of violence, but it is a generally known fact that Mohammed the Prophet preached violence and conquest.

when Mohammed first began seeing visions of the Angel Gabriel, he was under the protection of his uncle Abu Talib. in 619 Talib died and Mohammmed's second uncle withdrew his promise of protection. thus, "the Prophet" was forced to leave Mecca. it took him years to establish any kind of authority in Medina, and then only because of the constant raids that he launched against the caravans leaving Mecca. in April 623, a group of 60 arabs attacked one particular caravan, firing arrows at the guards and shouting "for Allah and Mohammed" arguably the first violence committed in the name of Islam. as word of Mohammeds raiders continued to spread, a force of some 800 Meccans moved to confront Mohammed and raze Medina. at the Battle of Badr, Mohammed claimed to have seen visions which helped spur his outnumbered men to rout the enemy. this prestigious victory convinced many thousands of tribesmen who were still unsure about the legitimacy of Islam. shortly afterwards, two poets were captured from the retreating Meccan forces. their job had been to come along and write a glorious epic about the destruction of the upstart Mohammed and his "false religion." Mohammed had them promptly beheaded, their skulls emptied and left for all passing to see. Mohammed, with his army of Islam, now set out to conquer Mecca. before he could, however, a restless Jewish tribe, Qurayzah, revolted against their new lords and requested freedom to leave Mohammed's lands. 10,000 arab warriors descended on them, killing all the men, those who resisted and those who didn't, and selling the women and children into slavery. in 630, Mecca fell to Mohammed and all armed men were slaughtered and lined up at the city walls. with his former seat of power restored, Mohammed next assaulted the northern arab tribes, ravaging their ancestral homelands and dividing the plunder amongst his men. with this, all the Arab tribes were now united under the banner of Islam and thoroughly under Mohammeds control. unfortunately for them, this meant that they could no longer plunder and kill each other. thus it was decided that the new "empire of Islam" would challenge the strength of the Byzantines far to the north. before he could, however, Mohammed died on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

what was it that made Islam so appealing to so many men? economic and political stability as well as a new faith that promised paradise to those who fell in battle and plunder for those who didn't. Islam was violent during its early life because the Arabs lived in a warrior culture.

still too general for you?

oh, and attacking christianity because it is actively seeking converts is just about the stupidest thing you could have brought to the discussion.