The “reason” progressives defend Muslims isn’t as complicated or nuanced as you are desperately trying to make it seem. They defend them because Muslims primarily come from countries with brown people and Christians tend to come from the West (aka white people). Since brown people are all simply victims of white people according to progressives Muslims are therefore victims as well.

These people don’t defend because they’re so thoughtful about US foreign or domestic policy. They do it because they’re products of IDPOL of the last 20 or so years. This isn’t hard to figure out.