Why do many imams and thinkers now use the expression: Islam says or Islam wants?

This is clear anthropomorphism and in the literal expression it is association of Islam as a partner alongside of Allah? or, even worse, in place of Allah?.
Note that this is a criticism of the expression and not an accusation of idolatry.
It is indicative of the care that our classical scholars took that you cannot find a single example of them saying such a thing. Such was their fear of idolatry.