Islam: Religion, or political-military movement?

When comparing Islam to other religions of the world, one of the first questions that comes to mind is, what makes Islam so different from the others? Putting aside for the moment all the atrocities that have been committed in the name of Islam over the years, consider the central beliefs of the religion.

Monotheism: Muslims believe there is only one God (Allah), and in fact it's the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians. In the five pillars of Islam, this is known as shahadah, and declares "there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger".

Charity: This is known as zakat in the five pillars and requires Muslims to practice charity.

Regular prayer: This is salaat in the five pillars of Islam, and requires Muslims to pray five times a day at prescribed times.

Fasting: Muslims must fast (sawm) during Ramadan, similar to the Lenten practices in Christianity.

Pilgrimage: Known as hajj in the five pillars, this requires all capable Muslims to travel to Mecca at least once in their life time.

When Islamic groups try to reassure the public that Islam is a "religion of peace", they trot out the five pillars of Islam as if to say "See? We're just a bunch of peaceful, God-fearing citizens like all you Christians and Jews!". But there's more to Islam than the five pillars.

The Qu'ran (the word of Allah dictated to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel) and hadiths (sayings and teachings of Mohammed and his closest companions) are loaded with exhortations to wage war in the effort to spread Islam, and with instructions on how to govern Islamic society according to Shari'ah (Islamic law). That political-military doctrine remains at the core of Islamic teaching today.

Without getting into a discussion of whether Mohammed was truly a prophet or just another desert warlord, it's important to note that no other major religion holds this doctrine today. To get a glimpse of just how committed Islamic scholars and clerics are to this doctrine, take a look at the Hizb ut-Tahrir web site. The aim of Hizb ut-Tahrir in their own words:

Its aim is to resume the Islamic way of life and to convey the Islamic da’wah to the world. This objective means bringing the Muslims back to living an Islamic way of life in Dar al-Islam and in an Islamic society such that all of life’s affairs in society are administered according to the Shari’ah rules, and the viewpoint in it is the halal and the haram under the shade of the Islamic State, which is the Khilafah State. That state is the one in which Muslims appoint a Khaleefah and give him the bay’ah to listen and obey on condition that he rules according to the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and on condition that he conveys Islam as a message to the world through da’wah and jihad.

The Party, as well, aims at the correct revival of the Ummah through enlightened thought. It also strives to bring her back to her previous might and glory such that she wrests the reins of initiative away from other states and nations, and returns to her rightful place as the first state in the world, as she was in the past, when she governs the world according to the laws of Islam.

It also aims to bring back the Islamic guidance for mankind and to lead the Ummah into a struggle with Kufr, its systems and its thoughts so that Islam encapsulates the world.

Just so there's no confusion, Kufr means infidels. That'd be you and me, unless you happen to be a Muslim.

So, just how is this significantly different from those other political-military movements known as Fascism and Communism? Beats me.