I can understand what his feelings are: being a minority and harassed by both sides, nobody wants to be friends with you. They force people to pick sides rather than coexist peacefully.
No, it is not cancer; in various very different cultures, prosperity and peace have been gained with that religion. The western world has been built on the knowledge that Islamic scientists have introduced to the world. Numbers, algorithms, and chemistry—all these had huge influence. Sadly, there are extremists who misinterpret old religious teachings are the true cancer of the world that needs to be eradicated.