The lure of Fantasy Islam

This is a long and rather learned article on the issue of Islamic apologia.  The concept that Islam is a "Religion of Peace" vs what we see daily done in its name.
I post it here for reference, as Kirby is thorough in his comprehensive footnoting of Islamic doctrine.
His conclusion, with which I agree:

 For many years non-Muslims in the West have been fed a steady diet of how Islam is a “Religion of Peace” and is similar, and even related to, Judaism and Christianity.  At the same time we have seen an increasing number of acts of violence done in the name of Islam.
For those willing to learn and investigate, the irrefutable conclusion is that most, if not all, of the violent acts committed by the jihadists are truly supported by Islamic doctrine, just as the jihadists themselves claim.  But this conclusion can create a cognitive dissonance between what we have heard about Islam and what we see actually being done in the name of Islam and supported by Islamic doctrine.  This dissonance can create stress.  The antidote to this stress for many is to turn to Fantasy Islam, where Islam is what any peaceful-sounding Muslim wants it to be, and the jihadists are the hijacking outliers.
But this is only a temporary resolution.  Just because you continue to ignore the reality of Islam, doesn’t mean that the reality of Islam will continue to ignore you.  The Christians in the Middle East and Africa are the canaries in the coal mine.
Dr. Stephen M. Kirby is the author of three books about Islam.  His latest book is Islam According to Muhammad, Not Your Neighbor.

Here is the whole article....