You are making the mistake of thinking that Islam is one single thing. It isn't. People across the world and across time who have claimed to be followers of Islam have and continue to have vastly different worldviews and beliefs. However, when we casually and clumsily talk about "Islam" as a monolith, then insidiously suggest Islam tends to influence people to be more violent or more anti-west, we suggest that we should treat those who are adherents to one of the great faiths of the world as we would treat people who tend to be more violent. That is to say, with suspicion, with less respect, and even with cruelty or brutality.

Much of the teachings of all of the major faiths are flatly incompatible with our modern world if applied universally and by their textual description. Even hardcore religious fundamentalists don't live by the literal scripture in the Bible. Islam is no exception, therefore we are handicapping our worldview if we insist believing that all Muslims act in accordance with all teachings is the Quran, or all Christians with all of the teachings of the Bible. The lived experience of our world is ample evidence that this is not the case.