Quote Originally Posted by Orb
I'll go into this more deeply at a later date, but I don't agree that Islam started peacefully and 'followed' a Christian example.
Depends on what you mean by "peaceful". Islam certainly started out peaceably enough until Mohammed had his little fallings out with the established powers-that-be over certain matters, and had to get the Hell out of Dodge after which it was all a good old-fashioned power/survival struggle.

That said powers-that-be weren't quite the calibre of the damn Roman Empire is also IMO kinda apparent in the difference between the two monotheistic, proselytizing faiths' early history. Not that the Arabs weren't a warlike enough people at the time mind you - by that point they had a fine and well-practised military tradition going back nearly two millenia if not more, complete with fairly elaborate "rules of engagement" to limit collateral damage.