Compare & Contrast: Islam & Judaism

Topic: Islam and Judaism
Purpose: To discuss the similarities between the belief systems of Islam and Judaism.
Two Areas to Compare: Belief set and society
Three Ways to Compare: Religious text, treatment of women, dietary and societal boundaries

I'd really like to get into the variances between Islam and Judaism.  I personally am neither a Muslim nor a Jew, as I lean more toward agnosticism.  (Dictionary.com defines an agnostic as a person who believes that a god or gods are unknown.)  Since I have no bias, I think I would be able to present three specific similarities or differences between their belief systems while maintaining an objective point of view.  There are three target areas I'd like to explore with this paper: the religious texts that both religions use, the treatment of women in both religions, and then their dietary and societal boundaries.  I already know that Muslims, for example, are not permitted to drink and Jews are not permitted to eat pork.  Women in Islamic nations must wear a garment that covers everything, called a burqa.  Jewish women do not have the same clothing restrictions.  I know that the Qur’an is the religious text of the Islamic religion, while Judaism relies on a tome called the Torah.  This is all information that I've learned since coming into contact with either news stories that explained certain points, people who practise these religions, and a book I once read in junior high school.  (Unfortunately, I no longer remember the title of this book as I read it several years ago, but it was a story that discussed the treatment of women in an Islamic nation.)

Lesser Gods

What is the difference between monotheism and polytheism?
How prominently does religion figure into the average American's life?
In what religions do the concept of greater gods versus lesser gods figure heavily?
How many of the world's most prominent religions today are monotheistic?  How many are polytheistic?
What is the most well-known religion based on a theory of greater and lesser gods?
Are there any mythologies in which lesser gods are a concept that figures into today's media?
Is religion a factor to which many Americans are frequently exposed?
About how many people today think of themselves as being very religious people, and how many people don't even make it to church on Sundays?
How does atheism differ from monotheism and polytheism?
What is agnosticism?
How do different religions handle the concept of "Heaven and Hell?"  Is this concept even a factor?