Islam reiterates how to be kind and patient with all people, from our mothers through to our neighbours, people of other faiths and even the enviroment and animals.
I was born into a Muslim family, The Quran teaches us to worship God without associating any partners with him and to pray solely to him. Never told to be violent ! Its got nothing to do with Islam.
This is the most important thing for us, Tawheed (God's unity of Lordship), and its this which distinguishes us from Christianity .
Islam is simply the same message of Tawheed, that Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all other Prophets bought to the world. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) spent most of his life teaching people Tawheed. This is the main message that God revealed in the Quran too.
Have a look here :
http://www.turntoislam.com/pages/daw...Basics1_1.html