Does Quran 2:256 show that Islam is a religion of peace? Response to David Wood.

The anti -islamist bigot David Wood has made a short video asserting that Islam is not a religion of peace based on Quran 2:256. He claims based on the methodology laid out in the Quran ,that 2:256 is done away with. However the verses he refers to, Quran 2:106 and Quran 16:101 no where lay out such a method where Quran 2:256 would be done away with. No where does Allah say he has abrogated 2:256 nor is there any report where Muhammad said 2:256 is abrogated. This is the strongest proof that David is wrong. And no, the “I have been ordered to fight ” hadith does not abrogate 2:256 either.
Al Nawawi in his commentary on the 40 Hadith states concerning the”I have been ordered to fight” hadith that;
“The majority of the scholars think it refers to the Arab Polytheists” (pg.505 “commentary on the 40 Hadith”)
Ibn Hajr we are told says this hadith has been abrogated( rather than it abrogating any Quranic verses) by later rulings concerning jizyah and peace agreements. ( pg 505 “Commentary on the 40 Hadith” Al Nawawi).
Further more there are ample verses in Quran the highest source of guidance in Islam that clearly state to Muhammad concerning the disbelievers rejection of islam that:
” yet your people still reject it even though it is the truth. Say, ‘I have not been put in charge of you.”-Quran 6:66
“We have not sent you to be their guardian: your only duty is to deliver the message.”-Quran 42:48
I could site over a dozen other such verses making it clear that 2:256 is not done away with because similar verses ( over a dozen) like the 2 just cited above, support the same idea of no compulsion to accept islam. Muhammad and the muslims are told over and over again that he/they can not force people to accept Islam and that the duty given is to convey the message.
So in order to attempt to support his claim David refers to the tafsir of Ibn Kathir.Again remember the highest source of tafsir of the Quran is the Quran by the Quran. (pg 123,124,129 Ulum Al Quran By Ahmad Von denffer).David attempts to sway the viewers by claiming Ibn Kathir is “The Greatest” sunni commentator of the Quran and claim Ibn Kathir says 2:256 is abrogated. When you listen to the evidence given by David, you notice no evidence is provided where Allah or the Messenger say Quran 2:256 has been abrogated. All we see are the differing opinons of various scholars but no conclusive evidence that the verse is in fact abrogated. Those that hold that the verse is not abroagted such as Al Razi state :
“That he should be forced to accept faith is not lawful in this world, which is a world of trial.”(pg 254 “The Quran and Its interpreters” By Mahmoud Ayoub)
Sayyid Qutb :
“It(Islam) is the system which asserts that “there is no compulsion in religion”. (pg 255 “The Quran and its interpreters”)
You can find many who hold the position that 2:256 is not abrogated.Those who hold that 2:256 is not abrogated have the judgement in their favor, as stated before. No verse or report traced to Muhammad states that 2:256 was done away with. In fact concerning 9:5 which they claim Ibn kathir says abrogates 2:256, we read that Ibn kathir merely gives THE OPINION of a person by the name of Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim who said, “It abrogated every agreement of peace between the Prophet and any idolator, every treaty, and every term.” Notice this opinion is not traced back to Allah or the Messenger, which is why our opponents claims are baseless.
Further more I wonder why our opponents never mention the fact that many scholars say that Quran 9:5 it self is abrogated .Imam al-Qurtubi mentions that al-Dahhak, ‘Ata’, and others are of the opinion that the above-mentioned verse (Qur’an 47:4) abrogates the “Verse of the Sword.” Al-Thawri relates from Juwaybir, that al-Dahhak said, “Slay the polytheists wherever you find them… (9:5)” is abrogated by the verse, “Then set them free or ransom them….(47:4).”And of course these verses were in the context of battle with the Pagans who attacked the Muslims 1st (Quran 9:13). Yet our opponents never mention this view.
We see then that David is wrong in his claims concerning Quran 2:256. The verse was not abrogated , nor forgotten, and there are over a dozen verses that support and confirm what 2:256 says.Further more no one has the authority to claim a verse is done away if Allah nor the messenger gave no authority to say so.

David ends his video by making the claim that Muslims who still cite the verse 2:256 are using Taqiyyah. 1st of all David uses the word taqiyyah wrongly.See here what Taqiyyah really means http://the-case-for-islam.webs.com/caseforislamvideos.htm and how the haters are refuted who use taqiyyah as a claim against Islam and Muslims.  He uses the word as if it means Muslim are boldly lying about Islam and covering its true teachings. Yet no stated teaching on Taqiyyah that I have seen condones such a practice. This is clearly what the anti -muslim bigots have created themselves. The only lying  and deception being done, is that done by David and his cohorts. 1st of all he pretends that there are no other views about 2:256 and that its engraved in stone that 2:256 is abrogated. We already have shown that is not the case. There are plenty of scholars in favor of the position that 2:256 is not abroagted, thus if muslims still cite the verse they can not be charged with hiding any thing,  as this is a valid position endorsed by many islamic scholars. The attempts to demonise and spread prejudiced about Muslims is shameful. I once said that I did not think David was a bigot of the likes of Robert Spencer and others. I was wrong! His fear mongering videos about Arab immigrants and false information about the alleged threat of Islam in the west or America, has clearly exposed the bigot that is David Wood.