But I'm not surprised, considering how few Americans understand Christianity.

Most American DO NOT understand Islam and REFUSE to even get a general understanding of it. Christians and " Make America Great " Pushers stick to the extremist's practices and the parts of the Koran to bash Muslims neglecting the fact that Christians are just as guilty of the same extremists and the Bible has laws putting people to death just the same.

Most Christians don’t even really look at their own religion with a critical eye. They just believe. They are the sheep their parents raised.

They in general do not. In general they believe whatever they see on the news.

they think that islam is the cause of 911 whereas i would say exxon mobile , shell texaco etc are the root cause. Islam has been hijacked to fight the west every step of the way much like xianity was used to topple the soviets

There is so much misinformation, stereo typing, labeling, and just uneducated people passing along their interpretation. Most people can't even grasp their own belief system/cult let alone the Islamic dogma.

As a Canadian, I can't speak for Americans.

Does anyone really understand the religion they belong to?

Take the history of the three connected ones. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each has at least several denominations that have splintered off the founding religion with different interpretations of the original writings of their holy book/s.

How can there be an understanding of a religion when the followers can't agree on the interpretations? Amongst themselves, there is a debate on the proper interpretations and authenticity of the original texts.

As to your question, I don't think anyone has a general understanding of Islam let alone a true one.

As a brown American whose roots come from a country that has hated Muslims before Americans had heard the word, I am constantly harassed by people who have no idea. I got yelled at for being Muslim while dangling floppy bacon into my mouth. I get harassed on concerts while wearing a t-shirt with 2 zombie women in bikinis. "Generally" they have no idea.

That being said, I have read various sections that have been translated and approached several Muslims for explanation of the direct commands of violence and have never been offered anything other than a sheepish excuse of how "you have to take it in whole"... which I find far more repulsive than the direct excuses used by my Christian friends. This is, I am sure, partly because I've had more exposure to more educated Christians in my travels, but still troubling.

Americans do not generally understand anything.