As the story goes, the Prophet Muhammad was meditating in a cave on Mount Hira in 610 CE when the angel Jibril appeared to him. The angel revealed to him a message to spread far and wide.

This message was the first revelationWhen something is made clear or explained. of the QuranThe holy book of Islam, whose words are believed by Muslims to have been passed directly from God to the Prophet Muhammad in a series of visions spanning 23 years. from AllahA term used for the only God in Islam. . Messages continued to be revealed to Muhammad for a further 23 years before he passed away. After his death, they were compiled into IslamA religion centred around the Quran. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. 's holy text.

Because of this, for Muslims, respecting the Quran is respecting the word of Allah. So it is not hard to see how the burning of the Quran in Denmark and Sweden has sparked huge diplomaticNon-violent peacekeeping. Diplomatic means keeping good relations between the governments of different countries. and religious conflicts in recent weeks.

On Monday, two far rightA range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity, and the elimination of opponents. protesters in Copenhagen set fire to a Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy as police stood by. The burning was allowed to go ahead as Denmark has no laws banning blasphemySpeaking with contempt or disrespect about a religious deity or sacred person. Blasphemy laws were abolished in the UK in 2008. .¹

It follows widespread fury last week after an Iraqi Christian refugeePeople who are forced from their countries because war or persecution. was granted permission on two separate occasions by the Swedish police to burn a Quran in Stockholm.

Protests erupted across the Islamic world, with angered protesters setting fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and expellingOfficially make someone leave. the Swedish ambassador.

As the Quran is a sacredConnected to God or another religious deity and so deserving of respect. text which carries a lot of spiritual significance for Muslims, burning it is seen as an insult to Islam itself. So why did officials allow the burnings to go ahead? 

Some believe that outlawing wrongful treatments of holy books would inhibitStop. freedom of expression and prevent valid criticisms of the role of religion in society.

Others point out that the freedom to express an opinion is not the same as the freedom to offend. The Quran is a holy text with a sacred meaning for a lot of people. Burning it does not make any intelligent point, but it does show intoleranceNot showing respect to people whose views are different to your own. of others' views.

Yes: Every view that you have is going to offend someone somewhere in the world. Nonetheless, we should feel free to express ourselves without worrying about causing offence. We are only responsible for our own actions, not others' reactions.

No: In most cases, offending people is the worst way to make a criticism or start a conversation. We should not focus on a "right to offend", but instead on our duties to each other as humans to be respectful and tolerant.

Or... On a human level, we should all try not to offend each other and to show respect for each other's views, but offending people should never be prohibited by law. This would set an extremely dangerous precedentAn earlier event that is seen as an example or guide to be considered in later similar circumstances..

Revelation - When something is made clear or explained.

Quran - The holy book of Islam, whose words are believed by Muslims to have been passed directly from God to the Prophet Muhammad in a series of visions spanning 23 years.

Allah - A term used for the only God in Islam.

Islam - A religion centred around the Quran. Followers of Islam are called Muslims.

Diplomatic - Non-violent peacekeeping. Diplomatic means keeping good relations between the governments of different countries.

Far right - A range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity, and the elimination of opponents.

Blasphemy - Speaking with contempt or disrespect about a religious deity or sacred person. Blasphemy laws were abolished in the UK in 2008. 

Refugee - People who are forced from their countries because war or persecution.

Expelling - Officially make someone leave.

Sacred - Connected to God or another religious deity and so deserving of respect.

Inhibit - Stop.

Intolerance - Not showing respect to people whose views are different to your own.

Precedent - An earlier event that is seen as an example or guide to be considered in later similar circumstances.