Don Lemon hosted a panel discussion on CNN Thursday night focused on the provocative question: "Is Islam more violent than other religions?"

"Let’s talk about it,” Lemon said, “and let’s just be very honest about it. This is a discussion that’s happening, really cross the world."

Lemon's panelists chimed in with passionate opinions. Author Tawfik Hamid said, “I believe there are certain areas in Islam that need to be reinterpreted, otherwise you will face violence in it. I believe with the literal understanding of it, and with its history as written in Shari’a books, today it is more violent.”

Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes was even more adamant on the point. “Yes, it must be, otherwise how could all these groups take the name of Islam to become violent and do what they do? They’re the ones that call themselves Islamists! They’re the ones, ISIS, calling themselves the Islamic State. We didn’t pin that name on them."

"So if they’re interpreting the teachings of the prophet," Fuentes concluded, "the teachings of the Qur’an, and they’re twisting it, they’re putting it on. But the fundamental basis is that they’re calling themselves Islamic and then cutting people’s heads off.”

Arsalan Iftikhar, from Islamic Monthly Magazine took great exception with his fellow panelists and with Lemon's premise. “I find it absolutely astounding that a former assistant director of the FBI would say that Islam a more violent religion than most other religions.” He then went on to raise the spector of so-called "Extreme Christianists.”

Lemon pushed back on that notion with some pretty frank and explicit facts:

"By saying that Islam is more violent than any other religion, it doesn’t mean that other religions aren’t violent. We’re talking about history and the reality here. If you’re looking at the bombing of abortion clinics, you’re not looking at the numbers of a 9/11, you’re not looking at the numbers of a Boko Haram, you’re not looking at the many people who are killed from ISIS and beheaded.”

H/T: Mediaite