https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asma_bint_Marwan
Ayatollah Khomeini SPECIFICALLY pointed this action out when ordering Salman Rushdie killed, so there is even a direct connection. And while you might not respect Khomeini ... I'm willing to bet a lot he knows more about islam than your whole family put together, and he's certainly not trying to please "the west".
"The prophet" was also a warlord that conquered territory.
I think everybody with any ounce of respect for the truth can agree: this was not, in any way, shape or form, a peaceful man. Insofar as that is criticism of Islam that is valid criticism.
But very few religions were peaceful at the time of their founding. Hinduism started with "a great war". Buddhism started with a war. Christianity started with a war, it was just a war against Christians, and eventually Christians took the offensive like good religious zealots keep doing. Judaism, seems to have started with a war. I'm sure the same is at least mostly true even for forgotten religions.
This is an interesting take on Hinduism and Buddhism. I am assuming you are referring to Great Wars of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Everyone participating in those was were the followers of Sanatan Dharma which is known as Hinduism today. Both wars weren't fought of religious ground. Buddhism started with Siddhartha noticing dukkha (pain) of life and leaving home to find solution.
What are your sources?
they call it "caste" in indian subcontinent and unlike what the indian hindu ideology is around their caste system, everyone assumes that islamic lineage taking is same as hindu caste division which is not it.