Is the Punishment for Apostasy Death in Islam?

A common misconception regarding Islam is that if someone leaves the religion of Islam, an Islamic State will punish them with death. This is simply not true. People always have the option to cease believing in and worshipping Allah in a Muslim land without being punished. Many people who left the religion of Islam in Muslim-dominated countries did so without being harmed. And many places of worship of other faiths can be found in Islamic countries today and in the past. "And say, ...