Christians condemn the Quran and Islam for all the violence taught therein, but say nothing about all the OT brutalities such as God commanding the utter annihilation of the Amalekites, including women, children and animals. Why this inconsistency?

The comparison between the violence in the Old Testament and the Quran is fundamentally flawed. The Old Testament narratives describe historical events and divine commands given to a specific people for a specific purpose, which do not serve as universal directives for all time. In contrast, the Quran contains injunctions that are meant to be followed by all Muslims throughout history, mandating violence against non-believers. This makes the two texts fundamentally different in their application and intent. Moreover, the wars commanded in the Old Testament were not aimed at converting other nations to the religion of Israel. They were acts of divine judgment against peoples who had committed grievous sins and abominations. For example, God commanded the Israelites to annihilate the Amalekites as a form of punishment for their actions, not as a means to spread their faith. This distinction is crucial in understanding the context of these biblical accounts. Additionally, the moral framework within which these commands were given is different from the teachings of the Quran. The Old Testament laws were specific to the covenant community of Israel and were intended to set them apart from surrounding nations. They were not a call to global conquest or forced conversion, which is a significant aspect of Islamic teachings. Thus, the argument that both texts promote similar violence fails to recognize these critical differences in context and purpose.