For decades, critics of Islam have drawn on the fact the Quran supposedly tells its readers to “kill the infidels” in order to support their anti-Islam propaganda. However, anybody who is truly familiar with the Quran and its contents knows that this is not intended to incite Muslims to violence against non-Muslims. Contrary to the belief of most anti-Islamic writers, Islam holds no ill-will towards other religions. In fact, the Quran actively encourages its followers to live in peace with those of other faiths. Similarly, the Hadith – a collection of sayings attributed to the prophet Muhammad – calls for love and understanding towards other religions.

One of the most common criticisms of the Quran is its apparent anti-Semitism. It is a heavy accusation to throw around and those who do so tend to cite passages of the Quran which criticize Jews to support their argument. While it is true that there are verses in the Quran which criticize Jews, it is important to remember that there is a major difference between criticizing a group of people and condemning that group of people. The passages of the Quran which are critical of the Jewish people chastise them for their shortcomings in the past, such as their failure to keep the covenants or their return to idol worship during the absence of Moses. Similar criticisms appear in the Hebrew Bible as well and serve to remind the Jews of the shortcomings of their ancestors. At no point in the Quran or the Hadith is it suggested that Jews or Judaism are inherently inferior. To the contrary, both books affirm Jewish traditions and remind us that Muslims and Jews both trace their beliefs back to Abraham, the father of monotheism.

As for Christians, Quran, 5:82 praises them for the kindness and love they were showing towards Muslims at the time of its revelation. In some ways, this could be seen as being in stark contrast to many modern-day Christian churches, which propagate the belief that Muslims are attempting to wipe out Christianity and bring Sharia law to the West. Quran goes on to praise Christianity for the humility of its priests and monks. More than any other religion, Islam puts a great deal of emphasis on the importance of religious freedom. This is largely owing to the immense persecution Muhammad and his followers faced in the early days of Islam.