This is what I think about this issue

So, wikipedia is like my new best friend, they have a lot of good stuff on there, right now, i am reading this and ultimately, this is what I think about this issue, emphasis mine:

John Esposito in response to the charge laid against Islam in West as a violent religion states: "There has always been violence within the Muslim history just as violence has occurred within all religious communities. Also, the problem is not only the issue of political and economical reasons and grievances, but also the fact that when we try to deal with the other (whoever the other is) we seek a way to objectify and even to demonize. What we now have is often a double standard (truly we are both looking in a mirror starting back at us, that is how the universe is structured, Indra's Net, remember?) That is people will look at the Qur'an and they will take scripture out of context. That doesn't mean that the Qur'an doesn't say that legitimate violence is okay, i.e to defend yourself against those who attack you. Or they will look at Muslim history and see that there had been Muslims who have used the notion of Jihad to justify their own imperialism and they will equate that with the religion of Islam, something that they often don't do when they are dealing with Christianity or other religions."

some other good links i found i listed right here , i definitely want to buy this book!