Not all religions believe life begins at conception, banning abortion on religious grounds is actually nothing more than religious favoritism though. The whole life beginning at conception dealio is Catholic in origin, and the result of some pretty abstract spiritual thought..

Regarding Islam.. I think it is important to note, that the early Ottomans were a bit more secular, and very tolerant. They ended up keeping a high level of sophistication and wiped the floor with the West. It wasnt until the West started secularizing via the Renaissance and enlightenment that the West started to rise.

Even then, it was the Juxtaposition where the West became more secular and the Caliphate became more conservative that they fell behind. Religious social conservatism being the downfall of Islam, and secularism and especially later the rise of Deism in Protostant lands however coincided with the rise of the West.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

Many if not most of the Founders were strong Deists. However on the religious right we are seeing a rise of the type of social religious conservatism that is doctrinally based that started rotting away the social and economic fabric of the Ottomans. We really should be aware and beware.

For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)