Peace brother.
These are incorrect assumptions on the basis of Quran. In Sura Baqra, Allah clearly says that no Messenger is better than the other.
We have to believe in all the books, all the angels and all the messengers. We cannot say my messenger is better than the others (Wala nuffariqu baina ahadihim). Read 2:285 and 2:286 to understand the true concept.
my friend you have misunderstood the verses. i mean 2:285,286. go to quranurdu.com and listen to abu al alah moududi's tafseer in their audio section. Allah is not equalizing the prophets. Allah is just saying that the believers do not defferenciate between Rasools in their believe (something like that). means they believe in every Rasool that Allah has sent.
please do not try to understand Quran by the translation. Arabs knew arabic but ALLAH still sent his beloved prophet(PBUH) to them so that he could teach them what was actually meant by the book. so who are we, we don't know the arabic even. always read a tafseer that is written by a known scholar. i try to understand Quran through Abu al alah moududi's tafseer. he is amazing. he mensions all of the schools of thought and then give the arguments in order to make us understand what certain verses mean.
friend i am worried about you, ( forgive me if i am wrong but) it looks like that you do not trust Muhammad (PBUH) that much. he is selected by Allah to become a religious teacher for the humanity until the day of judgement. Allah himself gives shahada that the Prophet (PBUH) is innocent and doesn't say anything but what he is given by Allah.
we have to understand prophet(PBUH) in order to understand Quran and the religion as whole. for example Quran asks us to perform salah but doesn't define how, where, when etc. the last prophet (PBUH) tells us how to say salah etc. it is not that Quran is missing something but it is the way Allah decided to send the whole religion to us. I love Allah , I love Muhammad (PBUH), I love all the prophets before Muhammad(PBUH).
as long as zaid hamid is concerned, his love for the religion and for the nation is reflected through his behavior. he has rejected voilence in Islam numerous times but ofcourse every nation has right to defend itself and in order to do that we have to have capability(weapon, strong army etc.) and all that doesn't work unless you do not have a true believe in your religion and ideology. may Allah bless him.