Re: Islam and freedom of choice
PCG is right in one sense… Islam as a whole came as the religion of State and anyone who used to become murtid was considered to have committed treason as he/she is a potential danger to the state… but that sounds too shallow if we do not understand the reality behind it…
Keep in mind that, Islamic Punishments CAN NOT be executed by any one other than through Islamic Judiciary System of the Government… This is why, it is wrong in any country of the world, even in Pakistan, to kill a murtid… It is absolutly UNISLAMIC for a muslim to carry out islamic punishments on his own… There is no TRUE Islamic Govt. out there these days and that’s what the basis of Khilafah is 
As an example, everyone know that the punishment of a thief is to cut the hands but very few know that there are six conditions along with that… Syedana Umer:razi: had abloshed this punishment for a time period when there was a drought in Madinah…
Having said that, there is a very big big article of Shaikh Yousuf Es`tes who I mentioned in my first post… please, read it … may it bring guidance to all of us..
http://www.islamalways.com/en/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=105