Teacher May Receive 40 Lashes For Allowing Class To Name Teddy Bear
Khartoum, Sudan (The Weekly Vice) - A 52 year old British teacher has been charged with inciting hatred, insulting religion and showing contempt of religious beliefs after she allowed her class to choose the name Muhammad for a stuffed teddy bear.
If found guilty, Gibbons could face a large fine, 6 months in prison or a punishment of 40 lashes.
The teacher, and mother of two was teaching a lesson about animal habitats and invited one of her pupils to bring in a teddy bear the student owned. She then invited the class to think of names for the toy. Several names were offered, however the teacher's class ultimately decided on the name Muhammad.
Gibbons was arrested after a parent complained, accusing her of naming the teddy bear after the Islam prophet Muhammad. Although it is common for Muslim men to be named Muhammad, apparently giving this name to a toy or animal is considered Blasphemy.
A British Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that Gibbons had indeed been official charged in the case.
"Khartoum north prosecution unit has completed it's investigation and has charged the Briton Gillian (Gibbons) under Article 125 of the criminal code," Suna said quoting a senior Justice Ministry official.
British lawmaker, William Hague called on the British government to "Make it clear to the Sudanese authorities that she should be released immediately. To condemn Gillian Gibbons to such brutal and barbaric punishment for what appears to be an innocent mistake is clearly unacceptable."
The English-language private school, Unity High School, has been closed for at least the next week until the tensions ease.
The school issued a statement in local newspapers calling the incident a "misunderstand". It also reiterated the school's "Deep respect for the heavenly religions" and support for "beliefs of Muslims and their rituals".
The school has also added that "the misunderstanding that has been raised over this issue leads to divisions that are disadvantageous to the reputation of the tolerant Sudanese people."
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
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2 comments:
This is a prime example of why these Arab countries may not ever be ready for a democracy. Teachers everywhere have to really watch their back. It's a lot of stress, worry and risk for ridiculous wages.
I used to work for a man named Mohamed. We all called him "Mo" and he was short, fat, balding, and had a bunch of kids.
My husband works with a man named Mohammed, as well. He's tall, young, got only a couple of kids, and is a graduate student in chemistry.
Last time I checked, Mohammed was the most common given name in the world.
So, uhm, why is it okay to name people (and places!) after the Prophet, but not a toy bear?
I mean, WTF? If the name is sacred, why are people allowed to use it at all?
I have great respect for Islam in general. I have NO respect for the Sudanese, however (and yes, I do know quite a lot about Sudanese culture, and I'm acquainted with a number of Sudanese refugees, people who are running for their lives from exactly the kind of morons who are behind this nonsense).
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