Tensions reached a boiling point in Iraq on Saturday as protests erupted over the desecration of the Quran, Islam's holy book, in Europe.

The protests were sparked by reports that an ultranationalist group burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In response, hundreds of protesters attempted to storm Baghdad's Green Zone, where foreign embassies and Iraq's government are located. Security forces were able to push back the protesters, preventing them from reaching the Danish Embassy in Baghdad.

This protest came just two days after a similar incident in Sweden, where individuals angered by the planned burning of the Quran stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad. As a result, Iraq's prime minister has cut diplomatic ties with Sweden in protest.

The incidents in Europe were carried out by an Iraqi asylum-seeker who burned a copy of the Quran during a demonstration in Stockholm. Although he did not ultimately set fire to the book, he kicked and stepped on it, as well as an Iraqi flag and a photo of influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

These actions have ignited a debate over the balance between freedom of speech and religious sensitivities. While the right to hold public demonstrations is protected in Sweden, many Muslims and countries are calling for severe punishments for those who insult the Quran.

In response to the incident in Denmark, Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard's chief, Gen. Hossein Salami, stated that they will not allow those who insult the Quran to go unpunished. The Danish government has condemned the demonstration, with Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen calling it a "shameful act to violate the religion of others."

This act of desecration has prompted protests in Baghdad and other Muslim-majority countries, where demonstrators voice their support for Muqtada al-Sadr and denounce those responsible for disrespecting the Quran.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the incident in Denmark and called on the international community to stand against such atrocities. Iran has also criticized the desecration and summoned the Danish ambassador to Tehran to express their concerns.

While tensions remain high, the protests in Baghdad have now dispersed peacefully. However, the incident has left its mark, with protesters burning Swedish and LGBTQ flags and chanting against the United States, Israel, Sweden, and Denmark. The desecration of the Quran and the ensuing protests serve as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between freedom of speech and religious sensitivities.