Why Qur'an Desecration is Taken Seriously

In the year 2005 reports began to filter out that a Qu'ran had been desecrated in Guantanamo Bay.  This news soon spread around the world, leading to massive demonstrations throughout the Islamic world.  Some of the demonstrations quickly became violent.  One in Afghanistan turned into a massive riot, leaving 17 dead.  Fifteen more people died in similar riots across the world.  This sort of reaction is not necessarily the exception, it's more so the norm.  In April of 2011, rioters attacked the UN compound of Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.  The rioters killed and beheaded three UN workers and four Nepali guards after an American named Terry Jones publicly burned a Qur'an after stating it was guilty for inspiring crimes against humanity.  For many in the West, this is a phenomenon that they don't understand.  Nobody in the world reacts in such a manner if the Bible is desecrated.  When the U.S. government burned Bibles at the Bagram airfield in Afghanistan, there was no violent reaction.  In fact, there was hardly any protest at all, so why the difference?  

Rioters & Victims of the Attack on the UN Compound of Mazar-e-Sharif

The difference is that Muslims do not view the Qur'an in the same way that Christians view the Bible.  Christians believe that God inspired men to write what he wanted at specified times in history.  It is certainly inspired by God, but is not considered to be an eternal expression of God.  This is not the case with the Qur'an.  The Qur'an The Qur’an holds a place in the hearts of Muslims that is beyond the estimation of most Westerners.  To Muslims, the Qur’an is the Eternal Word of Allah himself.  It is the closest thing to God incarnate.  To Christians, the Eternal Word is Jesus.  So in the eyes of Muslims, the Qur'an is to them what Jesus is to Christians.  This view is confirmed by numerous Muslim scholars such as Yusuf K. Ibish and Seyyed Hussein Nasr.  To comprehend the insult of burning the Qur'an, a Christian would have to imagine someone burning Jesus.  

However, Christians must understand that this kind of violent reaction to "desecration" is not unheard of in Christian history.  In the past, there was issue known as "Host desecration."  Many Christian denominations (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Methodist, Anglican, and Lutheran) hold the belief that during the Eucharist celebration, the bread and wine, by the action of God, becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus.  This practice has been believed since the earliest days in the Church.  However, in the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church held the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 in which they affirmed the theology of transubstantiation.  This holds that the bread and wine are literally transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus, while maintaining the appearance of bread and wine.  Most other churches however believe in "sacramental  union" rather than transubstantiation or they simply don't go into the "manner" of the change from the bread and wine to the body and blood of Christ.  Nevertheless, this passage by the Fourth Lateran Council created a prevailing fear among many Christians: Host Desecration.  

In medieval Europe, Jews had long been blamed for "killing Jesus" despite the fact that the scriptures stated that Jesus had to die for our sins and be resurrected in order to bring us eternal life.  This was one of the many unfortunate mistakes made by the medieval church, and "Host Desecration" would be another.  Although already viewed as sacred, the passage of the transubstantiation doctrine would further increase sacredness in which many Christians applied to the Eucharist.  Under the doctrine of transubstantiation, desecrating the Eucharist would be equivalent to desecrating God himself.  This resulted in societal outcasts within Europe of being accused of "Host Desecration" and ultimately leading to violent reprisals.  Jews in particular were often accused of this.  Having already been blamed for the "Death of Jesus," it didn't take much for the populace to begin accusing them of host desecration in the sense that they were continuing the practice of "Killing Jesus."  For centuries Jews were accused of this practice throughout Europe.  Leading may accused Jews to be tortured and executed for it.  In some cases, the violence got so out of hand after these accusations that entire Jewish communities would be expelled, or even executed.  So in a very real sense, Qur'an desecration would be viewed by Muslims today in the same light that Christians of the Middle Ages viewed host desecration.  

It is a fact that Christians have been guilty in the past for doing the same thing that Muslims today are doing, but neither side can use this as an excuse for this terrible wrong.  Many of the people that the Muslim rioters are attacking after these Qur'an burnings had nothing whatsoever to do with the desecration.  In addition, we must remember what Jesus taught us, that we must not reward evil with evil.  When Jesus was nailed on the cross, being mocked by the crowds, he never expressed hatred toward those who tormented him, in fact, he forgave them.  Jesus taught us to "Love our enemies and Pray for our persecutors" (Matthew 5:44).  The Disciples themselves endured much suffering or their faith.  They were insulted, beaten, stoned, flogged, and all of them except for the Apostle John died a martyrs death for their faith.  Yet they never responded with anger and hatred.  They never urged mob violence or armed reprisal.  Their only weapon was love, and in truth, many people who were once persecutors became believers after witnessing their unconditional love for themselves.  Dr. King himself echoed this statement by saying "Darkness cannot conquer Darkness, only Light can do that.  Hate cannot conquer Hate, only Love can do that."  

Sources:

Geisler, Norman L. & Abdul Saleeb.  Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross."  Grand Rapids MI: Baker Books, 2003.  

Qureshi, Nabeel.  No God but One: Allah or Jesus?  A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity.  Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan, 2016.