Joseph,
As the author of the chapter discussed, I can assure you that (if you read the chapter) I never accuse Muslims themselves of being deceptive people. If fact, here IS what I do say:
When a Christian wishes to teach others about Christianity, it is simply understood that honesty will be an essential aspect of that sharing. In Islam however, most westerners have a hard time relating to the fact that purposeful exaggerations, covering of the truth and occasionally – outright-deliberate lying is a core part of the religion of Islam.
There are actually specific doctrines and traditions that foster a culture of dishonesty within Islam. Now, of course, there are some verses and traditions in Islam that discourage lying:
And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). -Surah 2:42 (Yusuf Ali)
But unfortunately, as we are about to see, for many Muslims, it is the exceptions to the rule that have actually become the rule itself.
Instead I simply review certain hadith and the quotes of various Muslim scholars etc. My conclusion is that Islam (as a result of these various hadith etc, tends to create a culture where dishonesty toward the kaffir is acceptable). I have plenty of Muslim friends, and when I ask them about the idea of trickery when discussing religion, they almost universally give me that knowing sort of guilty smile. “No No!, you know that isn’t true.” they say with that half smile, half smirk. To try to make this out as if I am accusing all Muslim of lying is actually tricky in itself. Personally, I am far more open to discussing “truth” with a Muslim who is willing to admit that many (not all) Muslims do indeed use trickery when talking about religion with the kaffir and then says something to the effect that they will be honest with me however. A perfect example is the all too common cliche that (how many Muslims have you heard say) that Islam means “peace” or that Jihad, simply means “overcoming adversity”. These type of statements are blatantly not true, or at best only partial truths used to fool the hearer. If you cannot admit this then I know where you stand.
Bless You,
Joel