Shock!
Loaded racist / racism related question from GaryL who, when challenged, tries, rather pathetically, to move the goalposts.
Gary, let me simplify this for you mate.
Your original question was
"do you have to be another race to believe in the Quran?"
The answer is "No".
Your second question
"so is it religious hatred or racial hatred" is answered, funnily enough, in the first sentence of the originial article you linked to which states
"Police in Gateshead have arrested six people on suspicion of inciting racial hatred".
The clue is in what the police arrested them for - which was
"racial hatred".
Most adults understand that in the context of modern democracy "Free speech" does not give anyone the right to "
burn the bible, burn the quran, burn a flag".
Yes, Salman Rushdie
was protected by the government when he criticised Islam.
However, as you yourself have acknowledged, "
that was then and this is now."
What is it that you don't understand about your own statement?