Though a bit wordy, this article describes some very important and enlightening issues. The Muslim world would do well to become familiar with them and to deal with them if they ever want to be respected instead of mistrusted.
Therein lies the problem, TChris. Islam does not want to be respected as much as it wants to be feared. Respect commands itself and cannot be purchased with fear. The only thing that holds Islam together is the Islamic's fear of each other -- a fear that is propagated by a common tenet of that belief which demands death to those who would convert from Islam and death to the infidel who will not convert to Islam.
So it isn't so much of a religion as it is a system of thought that binds men's souls to perform unbridled violence against those whose dis-belief in Islam is a constant reminder to its adherents that Islam is too weak to stand on its own as a world-class religion, and, as the writer suggests, it's 'god' is so puny that mere mortals have to defend it.
Islam is a world-class poseur, standing center stage in the spotlight holding a guitar and it can't play a lick.