Until the advent of materialism and 19th c. dogma, Western Civilisation was superior to anything Islam had developed. Islam has not aided in the development of the modern world; in fact civilisation has only been created in spite of Islam. Proof of this resides in the 'modern' world and the unending political-economic and spiritual poverty of Muslim states and regions. Squatting on richer civilisations is not 'progress'. Islam is pagan, totalitarian, and irrational.
The common aspects of Islam with Near Eastern moon and celestial cults is quite obvious if you denude Islam of the label 'religion' and instead look at it from a historical perspective. Muhammad's 'Lord' or 'ilah' was of course premised on Hub'Al [lah] the moon deity of Mecca and main god of the 360 odd idols of the Kabaa shrine. Muhammad's ilah was conflated with Judeo-Christian anthropomorphic god-ideals to become the only divine power in the universe. But as anyone who has studied Islam knows, the ilah of Mecca has nothing in common with Yahweh or the Christian ideal of a 'Father' as espoused by Christ, supposedly visited and filled by the Holy Ghost [Matthew].
Like all Bronze-age and Iron-age cults, which are the genesis of Islam [especially that of the neo-Babylonians], the cult of Muhammad is particularly violent, misogynist and dichotomous. Those inside the cult of Mecca and Muhammad were 'chosen' both to dominate temporal life; and to accede to a paradise in the next life. Those outside the cult were to be fought, killed, converted, or enslaved. Sura 59 or 'The Gathering' is further proof of these facts. Two-thirds of this Sura is hate-speech against Kufars and Christians. Maybe Moslems can explain this lack of 'love' and 'peace'. A second major theme is that anyone who is not a 'slave' of this Allah-thing will be damned to hellfire. How very tolerant.
59:2 “...and they thought that their fortresses would defend them from Allah! But the (Wrath of) Allah came to them from quarters from which they little expected (it), and cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their dwellings by their own hands and the hands of the Believers.”
59:2 refers to the destruction of Jewish oases some of which were protected by either walls or in the case of one, by a moat. Terror is a valid tool to reduce the Infidel. In fact, implausibly, Allah's wrath is so great that the Infidels will destroy their own dwellings and indeed themselves.
Importantly of course is the demand to follow only the Koran, if you don't you are cursed to a horrible doom.
59:15 “..in the Hereafter for them there is a grievous Penalty;-”
59:17 “The end of both will be that they will go into the Fire, dwelling therein forever. Such is the reward of wrong-doers.”
[Wrong doing in the Koran, means not following the Allah cult.]
Muhammad coveted complete power with himself at the center of a typical pagan-fascism. He demands through his creation the Allah-thing that you venerate him, his book Recital and the moon deity 'The One'. In other words be a good slave.
59:3: “...in the Hereafter they shall (certainly) have the punishment of the Fire.”
['They' references Jews, Christians and pagans who don't follow Mohammed.]
59:4 “...that is because they resisted Allah and his Messenger...”
[Jews and Christians viewed Mohammed as insane for the most part, with his jumbled and incoherent view of the Biblical texts and his inaccurate memory of Jewish-Christian events, personalities and locations.]
59:13 “Of a truth you are stronger (than they) because of the terror in their hearts, (sent) by Allah. This is because they are men devoid of understanding.” ['You' means Moslems of course. Moslems are uber alles. Jews and Christians are certain to be defeated.]
59:14 “They will not fight you (even) together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls....they are a people devoid of wisdom.”
[Jews and Christians are cowards and ignoramuses because they rejected the moon idol cult.]
This sad Sura has some pretty clear messaging. Moslems are superior to Jews and Christians [the supremacist theme]. Moslems are going to destroy, kill and conquer non-Moslems [the violent dialectical theme]. The Allah-thing will terrorize non-Moslems and ensure that Moslems will win their struggle against non-Moslems [the protector-God theme]. Terror is a legitimate tool to be used against Kufars since they are reviled by the Allah-thing as impure criminals [the moral-justification theme].
One should never confuse a cult with a religion. A religion will teach almost the opposite of what one finds in this Sura and within the Koran. Once you strip the word religion from any association with Islam you can find out the truth of this Bronze-age inspired cult of manichean violence.