Sudan charges British teacher over teddy bear

last SG · 2007-12-01T14:40:24+00:00

Sudan pardons British teacher, to be freed in hour KHARTOUM - SUDANESE President Omar al-Bashir on Monday agreed to pardon a British teacher jailed here aft...

thehappybunny SG

its in the papers, but for all the lazy people...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-11-28-sudan-teacher_N.htm?csp=34

no wonder those countries are so screwed by their own backward mentality...the undisputed nutjobs of this world.

Demonight SG

Sudan is definitely a s**thole but the blame doesn’t rest solely on the inhabitants.

hloc SG

I do have a question for any Muslim reader here.....

Mohammed is one of the most common Muslim name in the world...... If I could gather 100 Muslim in a room, chances are that 20-30% will be named Mohammed. If that is the case, why is it so wrong to name a toy bear Mohammed I believed the teacher didn't said that the toy bear is named after the Prophet of Islam.... if she did, then it would indeed be wrong. But if countless millions Muslim Boy could be named Mohammed..... why not a Toy Bear Question

I don't mean to offends any Muslim here..... just like to know better the reason. Thxs Very Happy

Medicated Oil SG

I think the emotions is overhyped cos the teacher is from england and they assisted in the war in Iraq.

In the same sense, the men with the same name M should put a knife on their throat and killed themselves. Cos they have insulted the name.

The same case for people with the name J and B for the other religion.

A name is just a name.

If a group of people cannot truly appreciate the true meaning of the religion in being peace loving, then these people are the one that deserved to be punish for creating so much chaos in the false context of religion.

These trouble-makers are guilty of causing so much misunderstanding in the whole world and giving so much inconvenience.

This is plain stupidity.

LazerLordz SG

It's all politics. Even the boy who named the teddy said he named it after himself.

"One of her pupils told reporters yesterday that he had named the teddy bear after himself. The teacher asked what I wanted to call the teddy. I said Mohammad, after my name, he said. "

Complete idiots. And don't talk about cultural relativism here.

MyPillowTalks SG

34Sudan charges British teacher over teddy bear

i tink it is because they feel offended because of the colour and the name given to it. To me, i feel that it is fine, just that the student is too sensitive to an extend. Personally i think that it is fine.

Please PM me to edit if you think the comment is offensive Laughing

hloc SG

Would any Muslim reader here make a comment..... Because I think those that have written so far are non-Muslim, including me, therefore it would be good if we have a Muslim view about the matter. Thxs Very Happy

zannstar SG

its bcos the prophets name cant be given to a toy or animal...kinda insulting...

but its been blown WAY outta proportion, the poor teacher...how could she have possibly known???

its disgusting the way they wanna kill her just bcos of tt. but then again their fanatiques..... Rolling Eyes

(oy yea, im a muslim!)

Darkness_hacker99 SG

the link is for decoration one ar?

LazerLordz SG

First point is true, if taken strictly out of context.

But, and that is a huge but. Has anyone conveniently left out the fact that the children chose the name because it is also their name, and a very common name too? The intent of the children was not to name it after the Prophet, but as kids, they want to have fun by naming their toy after themselves.

It's the extremists who have seized this incident and made it into another Arab-West confrontation. If they had spent more effort developing their nation and empowering their children and the poor instead of grandstanding like this, we wouldn't have to see this shit plastered all over the cable channels.

hloc SG

Thxs for the reply...... Very Happy

It just seems strange to me that a person is going to jail for naming a toy bear even though that name is very common among Muslim...... Maybe some of the others are right, that the whole thing is mainly because the teacher is a white AngMor from England......

zannstar SG

So very true. My heart goes out to the teacher...she just wanted to introduce something fun for the kids, to bring out their creativity...and she got this??

Blown WAY outta proportion.

hloc SG

Just saw the news that some ppl are demanding that she be executed.... this is getting bad..... Sad

LazerLordz SG

I'm sure the Sudanese government is allowing that to distract the people somewhat from the poor governance.

She's been sentenced to 15 days jail and will probably be sent back to the UK, and the kids lose one teacher.

Smart..really smart.

Daisuke-kun SG

bear name Muhammad oso cannot?
i may be a muslim but i tink tis is crap.
just a name.

hloc SG

Agree.

Can't govent...... blame other is easiest.

There goes a good teacher...... Sad

Kuali Baba SG

All those crazy people at the rally calling for her execution should have been firebombed there and then. Mad

Catknight SG

Thought the student named it not the teacher or well what to do Rolling Eyes

LazerLordz SG

Two British Muslim Lords are heading to Sudan to secure her release.

"Lord Ahmed, who is being accompanied by the Conservatives' Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, expects to meet President Omar al-Bashir and possibly the chief justice. He is travelling at the invitation of the Sudanese government."

LazerLordz SG

Let's hope that common sense prevails.
--------------------------------------------------
Muslim peer bids to free teacher

A Muslim Labour peer is travelling to Sudan to push for the release of a British teacher imprisoned for insulting religion.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was jailed after her class was allowed to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Lord Ahmed is expecting to meet Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and the chief justice.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the meeting could provide a way out of the diplomatic crisis.

Private negotiation

Lord Ahmed is travelling to the capital Khartoum on his own initiative, accompanied by a Muslim shadow minister, Lady Warsi.

He has been in private negotiation with Sudanese officials this week, in a separate initiative to the British government's effortss.

Lord Ahmed's office told the BBC: "We have it from the top that Sudanese authorities will co-operate in relation to her release."

Our correspondent said the Muslim delegation is expecting to meet the president on Saturday and return to the UK by Monday, hopefully with Mrs Gibbons.

"Analysts believe it would suit the Sudanese government to be seen to be showing mercy in handing her over to a Muslim delegation, instead of appearing to 'give in' to their former colonial masters, the British government," Mr Gardner said.

'Swift resolution'

Meanwhile Mrs Gibbons' son has said his mother does not want the situation to spark "resentment" towards Muslims.

John Gibbons, 27, from Liverpool, said she was "holding up quite well".

He told The Associated Press on Friday: "One of the things my mum said today was that 'I don't want any resentment towards Muslim people'.

"She doesn't want people using her and her case as something to stoke up resentment towards anyone, towards Sudanese people, towards Muslim people or whatever.

"You know, that's not the type of person she is, that's not what she wants."

Mrs Gibbons allowed her class to name the teddy bear Muhammad

He added she was in good spirits and did not seem too distressed.

"She's holding up quite well. It was nice obviously to speak to her and hopefully we will be able to speak again," he said. "It's made me feel a hell of a lot better."

Crowds of people marched in Khartoum on Friday to call for a tougher sentence for Mrs Gibbons.

The Foreign Office said Mrs Gibbons had been visited again by consular staff on Friday and that she was "well", but it could not confirm where she was being held.

A spokeswoman said: "We are pursuing diplomatic contacts with the Sudanese government, we are continuing to do so and will throughout the weekend both in London and Khartoum.

"We are continuing to search for a swift resolution of this issue."

con'td here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7122323.stm