Why Islamic Rage Over Burning the Quran?

Months ago, we watched in amazement as Islamic believers killed Christians after "Pastor" Jones in Florida had his own burning of the Qur'an. More recently, explosive-filled trucks, suicide bombers, gun-firing civilians and Afghani soldiers have led murderous charges based on reports that soldiers burned Qur'ans. We are incredulous. Why this intense rage?

It is within our interest to understand both what fuels and insults Islamic faith – for the well-being of Christians who live in the hinterlands of encroaching Islamic governments and regimes, and for those in countries where Muslims populations are growing and their public presence is becoming more insistent.

The Qur'an is at the very heart of Islamic faith and life. While the Islamic world is not monolithic – it harbours deep and often violent internal disputes and wars – Muslims are united when any disparaging word or act is directed to their holy book or Prophet Muhammad.

Why do some Muslims resort to incendiary violence when their holy book is burned? Do Christians do the same when their Bible is desecrated or burned? No. We do not because our view of the Bible is different to how Muslims view the Qur'an. (We should not however underestimate the degree to which religious leaders in some Mid-East countries use this issue as a way of manipulating emotions, triggering mob violence and murder.)

Muslims believe the Qur'an was dictated directly to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah over 20 years, somewhere between 570 and 632 AD. This is different to our Bible, in that while we believe it is inspired, we acknowledge the Bible is a series of books written over time by various authors, in testimony to Jesus of Nazareth, God's Son. We believe Jesus is divine, much like Muslims believe the Qur'an is divine. However when we make the Bible and the Qur'an equivalent, we misunderstand how Muslims regard their holy book. The Qur'an and Bible operate very differently for Muslims and Christians.

A more helpful comparison is to equate the Hadith with the Bible. The Hadith is the written record of what Muhammad said and did (written during the 8th and 9th centuries) and used by Muslims to interpret the Qur'an, quite like Christians use the Bible to interpret Jesus. Some Islamic specialists suggest that burning the Qur'an is for Muslims like desecrating Jesus or the Eucharist – the elements of the Lord's Supper – would be for Christians. Keep reading