“If the people [of Missouri] come on us to molest us, we will establish our religion by the sword. We will trample down our enemies and make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Quran or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us – Joseph Smith or the Sword" – History of the Church, Vol. 3, p. 167.
You wrote: The only connection with Islam is that when Joseph Smith first became famous, some American newspapermen (remember when we had those?) often called him “The New Mohammet”. Any other similarities are really superfluous.
Not correct!
There are many similarities, including: Joseph's perverted sexual practices (including polygamy), financial crimes, blood feuds (blood atonement), and violence against "gentiles" ... not to mention numerous doctrinal similarities including a works based salvation, and male dominance both in this world and the afterlife.