Islam has a history of violence. Muslims can be violent. Denying this is not at all different from denying that Islam is peaceful and that all Muslims are pacifists. The dichotomy is simply false.
The Qur’an contains injunctions that are contradictory. It calls for both peace and violence. The problem is not that they are there; the difficulty is that non-violent and militant appear equally justified. For some, the peace of God is through his sword; for others, it is found in his unbounded mercy. According to circumstances, both types of passages are used by Muslims.
For example, on one hand, we are told, ‘The servants of the All-merciful are those who walk on the earth modestly and who, when the ignorant address them, say, ‘Peace’ (Sura 25:63). Then on the other, Muslims are told, ‘Fight them, and God will chastise them at your hands and degrade them, and He will help you against them, and bring healing to the breasts of a people who believe. (Sura 9:14). ‘Ask not for peace while you are having the upper hand’ (Sura 47:35). Similarly, on the one hand, the Qur’an says there is no compulsion in religion. However, it also teaches that in God, the only religion acceptable is Islam (2:256; 3:19).