British woman arrested in Sudan for naming teddy bear Mohammed

A British teacher has been arrested in Sudan for allowing her seven-year-old students to name a teddy bear Mohammed, the British Embassy said.

Gillian Gibbons was detained yesterday on suspicion of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Colleagues of the 54-year-old teacher from Liverpool told Reuters they feared for her safety after receiving reports that young men were gathering outside the Khartoum police station where she was being held.

British officials said it remained unclear whether she had been formally charged.

Under Sudan's Sharia law, the punishment for blasphemy is 40 lashes, although the teacher could also be fined or jailed for up to six months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/26/wsudan126.xml

What are your thoughts on it?

I wonder why she named it that?

I don't know what to say about the punishment, if her action was deliberate...well I don't know, it's all quite foolish really.

Considering it's in Sudan, it makes perfect sense.

Originally posted by SelphieT
I wonder why she named it that?

I don't know what to say about the punishment, if her action was deliberate...well I don't know, it's all quite foolish really.

How does a bear look anything like Muhammad?

This teacher was damned from the start. If she had refused to let the kids call it Muhammad she'd be in the same position.

Originally posted by Bloigen
How does a bear look anything like Muhammad?

This teacher was damned from the start. If she had refused to let the kids call it Muhammad she'd be in the same position.

No she wouldn't.

Originally posted by chillmeistergen
No she wouldn't.

She would be. She'd be opposing their beliefs.

The teacher asked the children what the Bear should be called and they chose the name Mohammad, naming the bear after a child in the class. She then mentioned this in some school letter to the parents, then someone complained.

Firstly anyone who decides to live in such countries who have middle ages type laws, must know that it can go pear shaped. Especially for a foreigner who cannot have a feeling for the attitude, traditions and ways of that country no matter how much they read up on it.

Hopefully she´ll get let of with a warning and be sent o educational lessons of some sort so she knows the score, after all no on was hurt.

What I don´t understand is, is why people ie children can be named Mohammad and other things cannot. Surely this is also slur on the "prophet" as well, comparing in a way someone to him.

Originally posted by Bloigen
She would be. She'd be opposing their beliefs.

No she wouldn't be. She'd just have to say ''well children, that would be insulting the founder of Islam'', then they could call it Freddy and move on.

If a Muslim child went home and complained about not being able to call a teddy Muhammad, their parents are not likely to kick off and try to get the teacher in shit. More likely, the kid would be in trouble for wanting to call it Muhammad.

Originally posted by chillmeistergen
No she wouldn't be. She'd just have to say ''well children, that would be insulting the founder of Islam'', then they could call it Freddy and move on.

If a Muslim child went home and complained about not being able to call a teddy Muhammad, their parents are not likely to kick off and try to get the teacher in shit. More likely, the kid would be in trouble for wanting to call it Muhammad.

They named the bear in September, they had moved on.

Muhammad is a common name there if she said no to the name Muhammad she would still be denying their culture. That leads to parents being upset about the teacher denying their culture, some would see it as an attempt to put down their religion and back to the 40 lashes.

As soon as the name Muhammad was mentioned she was screwed, it was only a matter of time before somebody picked up on it and did something.

'No she wouldn't be. She'd just have to say ''well children, that would be insulting the founder of Islam'', then they could call it Freddy and move on'

The thing is it's hypocritical in a sense because they can all name their kids Mohammed and the Koran an inanimate object is know as the book of Mohammed so when does naming something a name that is used on other inanimate and animate objects freely get the line drawed on it being offensive?

It seems like alot of Imans of the Islamic faith make the rules up as they go along.

Well, as Muhammad was an actual person, it seems natural that a person should be able to bare that name. Whereas, if you call a teddy bear, or a water melon, or some other inanimate object Muhammad, you're effectively trivialising the deeds of the prophet.

I assume that's the thinking behind it.

Originally posted by Sanctuary
Under Sudan's Sharia law, the punishment for blasphemy is 40 lashes, although the teacher could also be fined or jailed for up to six months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/26/wsudan126.xml

What are your thoughts on it?

(I'm well aware that Sudan is in Africa rather than Sandville and filled with blacks rather than Arabs.)

Indeed but to be honest and i'll probably come under flak for this but it's my own opinion the deeds of a genocidal mercernary such as Old Mo who at 52 had a 9 year old bride and also 'drank the milk from the goats bladder' 'great' deeds leave a lot to be desired but a fanatical muslim would kill me where i stood for daring to question such actions or logic of a dead man.

Originally posted by Sanctuary
Under Sudan's Sharia law, the punishment for blasphemy is 40 lashes, although the teacher could also be fined or jailed for up to six months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/26/wsudan126.xml

What are your thoughts on it?

Countries that have such rediculous laws should be scorched. It's a ****ing name, it's not like the name "Mohammed" wasn't around until the so called "one prophet" Mohammed came to be.

I heard about this. Me and my Dad thought it was very funny.

Well it's not funny. As much as I can comment without being mildly upset.

Religion is nothing but a trouble, a starter for wars, to dictate idea's to people, and an excuse for death's and destruction.

Originally posted by lord xyz
I heard about this. Me and my Dad thought it was very funny.

Originally posted by Neo Darkhalen
Religion is nothing but a trouble, a starter for wars, to dictate idea's to people, and an excuse for death's and destruction.

That is a very negative point of view...despite that fact that there is truth in it. Religions is NOT nothing but trouble.