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"You can criticize particular Islamic teachings and confront genuine problems within Muslim societies without turning Islam into one uniform civilization or treating every Muslim as an adherent of an inherently evil doctrine."
If you read the Quran, and understand the hadiths, you will quickly learn that Islam IS indeed 1 uniform "civilization" and/or form of government.
Quran 9:29 fight those who do not believe in Allah until they pay the jizya (tax) and feel subdued.
If you ask any Muslim if they are a good Muslim, and believe every word of the quran they will tell you yes. PERIOD. None will say "yes the quran is the true word of god but only these parts" or "this/that part doesn't apply in modern times, its different now"
The ultimate goal is clear, 1 religion, 1 god, no exception.
Quran 9:29 is fair to criticize. It is an illiberal verse that has historically been used to justify jizya and the subordinate legal status of non-Muslims. But one verse does not prove that every Muslim interprets the Quran literally or wants a worldwide Islamic government. Muslims demonstrably disagree about how their scripture and Sharia should be interpreted.
The Bible contains teachings open to the same criticism. Deuteronomy commands religious warfare and the destruction of entire populations. It also prescribes death for leading someone toward another god. Exodus regulates slavery, Leviticus calls for executing men who have sex with men, Ephesians tells slaves to obey their masters and wives to submit to their husbands, and 1 Timothy denies women authority over men.
Yet Christians can believe the Bible is the word of God without believing all those passages should govern modern society. They interpret them through historical context, the distinction between the Old and New Covenants, and competing theological traditions. Muslims also contextualize and disagree about their scriptures.
So if your argument is that the Quran contains illiberal teachings deserving criticism, I agree. But if quoting one verse proves that every Muslim wants religious domination, then the same method would “prove” that every Christian supports slavery, religious warfare, executing gay people and subordinating women. Neither conclusion is reasonable. The meaningful question is how believers interpret and apply their scriptures today.
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