Originally Posted by CarlosTheGaucho

This may sound technically true, since the early, Meccan part of the Qu'ran is widely plagiarized from the Old Testament, and even mentions several characters present in the Judeo-Christian theology. So a follower of Islam can claim this and it will be in accordance with the Qu'ran, however, there is more to it.

The "People of the book" is the term used in the Islamic doctrine for the Jews and Christians. These indeed have a special status in the doctrine of Islam, they can live under Islamic rule, as long as they accept Islam as the final, universal, true word of god and Mohammad to be the final prophet. The Qu'ran even goes as far as to claim that the Jesus was a Muslim.

These can, according to the Islamic doctrine, either 1) convert 2) become a dhimmi - a second class citizen with very limited rights, that is supposed to pay Jizyah (special tax for "protection") 3) die.

Polytheists or pagans have, according to the doctrine, only two options - to convert or to die.

Actually there was, historically, yet another option - a frequent practice of slavery, following the example of the prophet Muhammad who was a slave trader himself. This has been widespread, on a massive scale, in Africa and Meditteranean.

The original business of slavery was conducted by Islamic slave traders, and the only way for a slave to free himself was to convert. Ever wondered about the origins of Islam in Sub Saharan Africa? These are, in the vast majority the descendants of slaves that converted. Slavery was a powerful tool in order to spread Islam.

There is always plenty of buzzwords that are spread by those who are not familiar with the doctrine, or by the apologists for Islam, and are widely accepted and recited, since it makes people feel good. But there's usually also a second side to the story.