I think there are a lot of people in the West who have gained some respect for Islam because of the incredible moral decline in the West. We are living in a society with no morality, no limits and no higher purpose. The main focus is on hedonism and consumerism. The lefties are aggressively pushing for a clownworld and the right is obsessed with profit and the free-market. The institutions that are supposed to be the conscience of society have no backbone and are failing miserably to guide people.
With all of this foolishness going on you have Islamic people actually standing up and speaking out against the nonsense and living their lives differently. They don't give a shit what is politically correct or fashionable. They have moral guidelines, self-discipline and are living for a higher purpose. They don't care what the government says, what feminists say, what the media tells them to think, what is trending among celebrities, what is #Woke and so on and seeing people stand by their convictions is impressive. A lot more social conservatives are starting to see Islamic people as their ally.
A couple of years ago everyone on Sherdog seemed to be posting "Fuck Islam", but more and more I am seeing "Islam come quickly we are barely holding on" type of posts on Sherdog. Of course, they are not all completely serious, but it's certainty indicative of a change in attitude towards Islam. Even those who are joking can see the value in a group who stands firm against the meaninglessness of today's so-called western values.