Islam critiqued against the death penalty; Violent sharia?

In answer to the video "Muhammad did it. Therefore it is not sinful."

YEs the Quran prescribes some harsh punishments, including the death penalty. How does that undermine its legitimacy as a divine religion? It doesnt. The only time the Quran allows death to a crime (without specifiying the execution method) as an extreme measure, among other severe measures, is murder 2:178 and spreading corruption in the land 5:33. And even in such cases, as well as others like theft where violent punishment is prescribed 5:38-40, physical punishement or death are only used against criminals who insist on transgression before the government is able to seize them. This speaks of criminals who actually have to be subdued by force so as to safeguard society. This is corroborated in the Arabic language where sariq (masc) and sariqa (fem) are adjectives and denote thoroughness and completeness in the characteristics of the word they qualify.

An important thing to keep in mind is that this punishement is one that is prescribed within a society where the just Islamic system is implemented as a whole, where its members earn their living fairly and have the entire right to enjoy it freely and securely, where a portion of their wealth is used to meet the needs of the less fortunate, and where such crime is totally unjustified. That is why when the Muslim state was stricken by famine under the second caliphate, that the government could not guarantee the needs of all of its citizen, Umar suspended the enforcement of the punishment for theft. When a camel belonging to a man of the tribe of Muzaynah was stolen by 2 men, Umar ordered their hands to be cut off. But when he learned that their master kept them hungry, he punished their master instead, imposing on him a fine equivalent to the price of two camels. But when the Islamic law is implemented to its fullest and that should a person shouldnt have to resort to theft to answer his basic needs, then it means the crime was meant at increasing one's wealth and status at the expense of others. The thief in that case is one that deems legitimate aqcuisition of wealth and status to difficult, so he seeks it through easier but illegitimate means. The Quran then counters that perverse mindframe by making it even harder for the one proven guilty to seek wealth in a legitimate manner, permanently reducing him, both in his appearance and abilities.