One of the many contradictions in Islam, is the one that preaches about freedom of belief, in the verse above from the Quran it clearly states that there is no compulsion in Islam, any one who reads this might feel re-asured, i know i did. then when you read the verse that follows it, the whole concept changes.
"Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans (Devil) who take them out of the light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide." Verse 257 The Cow Sura.
It is pretty obviouse now that the second verse contradicts with the first one, because Mohammad tells you that no one is forcing you to become a Muslim or to remain Muslim, then on the second verse he promises those who don't convert to Islam or who don't remain in Islam will have to suffer the torment of hell fire. I guess there is not much of choice there, Believe or burn in hell. It sounds like an effective scheme to put fear in the minds of the ignorant, and make him/her submit to his/her delusions which Mohammad had planted in his/her minds, at the same time believing that they didn't feel forced or brutally forced to be Muslims.
It is nothing more than a mind games that Mohammad likes to play on his followers, to insure obedience, submission, and leadership over the masses, and he was also good at setting examples along the way by killing all those who didn't believe him or criticized him by executing them in public, thus planting more fear in the hearts of people, fear to speak, fear of freedom, and fear of thinking, or doubt. Even now more than 1400 years after his death, people are afraid to doubt Gods existence even at their own discretion, because they've seen they have a delusion a scary fantasy in their minds that repels them from doubting, even if for some reason they start to doubt for as less as a micro-second, they mumble a few of Mohammad's magic words to repent from the sin of doubting.
Mohammad had left behind the book that he wrote "Quran" this book is now used to fulfill Mohammad's birocracy by terrorising the innocent, killing and torturing those who don't believe. Even on a smaller scale, when it comes to family relations, an atheist or a person who doesn't believe in the relegion of the parents will be an out-cast and will be rejected, his/her friends will see him/her as a person who's on hell's waiting list. It is that same relegion that takes away the goodness from people's heart. and replaces it with revenge.