See Discover Islam page here.

The poster answers its own question:

Yes. The Qur'an states unequivocally:

"There is no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clearly from falsehood..." (Qur'an 2:256)

The Qur'an also "states unequivocally":

• These twain (the believers and the disbelievers) are two opponents who contend concerning their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads, (22.19) Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted; (22.20) And for them are hooked rods of iron. (22.21)
• Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds. (47.4)
• O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him). (9.123)
  
• O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end. (9.73)
• Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush... (9.5)
• Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low. (9.29)
• Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is ever weak. (4.76)
• When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. (8.12)

If "there is no compulsion in religion," how can there be so many verses in the Qur'an that dictate violence against non-Muslims? Verse 2.256 has been the subject of much analysis; a summary of perspectives can be read here. Regardless, suggesting that 2.256 is the Qur'an's representative statement on the subject of religious tolerance is—at best—incomplete and misleading.

The poster continues:

Freedom of conscience is an essential tenant of Islam. Truth can only be seen if it is not clouded by coercion.

Beyond the Qur'anic contradictions to these claims already cited above, consider the plights of those whose "freedom of conscience" leads them to leave Islam. For those non-Muslims, Islamic orthodoxy is merciless: according to the "most reliable Hadith collection," Muhammad himself said, "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'" (Bukhari 9.84.57) Muhammad's position on the subject is repeated here: "If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him." (Bukhari 4.52.260) Bukhari recounts a particularly gruesome implementation of this dictate:

Some people from the tribe of 'Ukl came to the Prophet and embraced Islam. The climate of Medina did not suit them, so the Prophet ordered them to go to the (herd of milch) camels of charity and to drink, their milk and urine (as a medicine). They did so, and after they had recovered from their ailment (became healthy) they turned renegades (reverted from Islam) and killed the shepherd of the camels and took the camels away. The Prophet sent (some people) in their pursuit and so they were (caught and) brought, and the Prophets ordered that their hands and legs should be cut off and that their eyes should be branded with heated pieces of iron, and that their cut hands and legs should not be cauterized, till they die. (Bukhari 8.82.794)

As explained here, Muhammad's words and actions from the 7th century continue to serve as the "perfect model" of human behavior for many Muslims today. Thus, apostasy from Islam continues to be a capital offense in Muslim countries. As just one example, consider the recent case of Abdul Rahman, who faced the death penalty in Afghanistan for converting to Christianity—even after the USA invaded and oversaw the creation of a new constitution there.

Protection of the rights of non-Muslims is an intrinsic part of Islamic law.

"Protection" of non-Muslims is indeed an important element of Islam. Haroon Siddiqui, author of the book Being Muslim, writes, "Islam extended to Christians and Jews, whose prophets they shared, full protection of the state, calling them dhimmis, from dhimma, guarantor." And this same protection was also ultimately offered to other non-Muslims, such as Zoroastrians and Hindus.

But neither Siddiqui nor the Discover Islam posters reveals the price for that protection—a price no less intrinsic to Islamic law. As indicated by verse 9.29 of the Qur'an quoted above, fighting is mandated against Jews and Christians ("those who have been given the scripture") "until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low." Or, as another translation puts it, "until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection." And just how have Muslims implemented this Qur'anic guidance?

In the seventh century, Islamic Caliph Umar offered to the Christians of Syria a peace accord known as the Pact of Umar. As documented in al-Turtushi's "monumental political treatise" Siraj-al-Muluk, the Pact of Umar lists numerous promises made by the Christian subjects, including:

• We shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks' cells, nor shall we repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims.
• We shall not manifest our religion publicly nor convert anyone to it.
• We shall show respect toward the Muslims, and we shall rise from our seats when they wish to sit.
• We shall not mount on saddles, nor shall we gird swords nor bear any kind of arms nor carry them on our persons.
• We shall not display our crosses or our books in the roads or markets of the Muslims

The pact concludes with a final vow: "If we in any way violate these undertakings for which we ourselves stand surety, we forfeit our covenant [dhimma], and we become liable to the penalties for contumacy and sedition."

Fast forward to the 9th century. Islamic historian Tabari, considered by Muslims a "well-respected scholar" and author of "some of the most respected books in Islamic history," writes:

In the year 850, [Caliph] al-Mutawakkil ordered that the Christians and all the rest of the ahl al-dhimma be made to wear honey-colored taylasans (hoods) and the zunnar belts... He further required them to affix two patches on the exterior of then slaves' garments. The color of these patches had to be different from that of the garment. One of the patches was to be worn in front oil the breast and the other on the back. Each of the patches should measure four fingers in diameter. They too were to be honey-colored...

He gave orders that any of their houses of worship built after the advent of Islam were to be destroyed and that one-tenth of their homes be confiscated. If the place was spacious enough, it was to be converted into a mosque. If it was not suitable for a mosque, it was to be made an open space. He commanded that wooden images of devils be nailed to the doors of their homes to distinguish them from the homes of Muslims.

More than a thousand years later, one might expect (or at least hope) that today's Muslim leaders would have tempered the Islamic mandate to tax and subjugate the "protected" non-Muslims. Yet many Muslims continue to believe that the Qur'an is the "eternal and literal word of God." For them, Qur'anic verse 9.29 is just as relevant today.

As noted by Andrew Bostom, the December 23-26, 2005 edition of the Wall Street Journal included an interview with Hassam El-Masalmeh, a Hamas leader from Bethlehem, who said this of the jizya (poll tax) for non-Muslims:

We in Hamas intend to implement this tax someday. We say it openly—we welcome everyone to Palestine but only if they agree to live under our rules.

As Bostom writes, El-Masalmeh wasn't the first Palestinian leader to speak publicly about the price of protection. Sheik Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Madhi conveyed a similar message during a sermon broadcast live on Palestinian Authority Television in 2001:

We welcome, as we did in the past, any Jew who wants to live in this land as a Dhimmi, just as the Jews have lived in our countries, as Dhimmis, and have earned appreciation, and some of them have even reached the positions of counselor or minister here and there. We welcome the Jews to live as Dhimmis, but the rule in this land and in all the Muslim countries must be the rule of Allah.

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