Posted by Cockney Robin | A 54 year old teacher from Liverpool faces 40 lashes and a six month stint in prison for allowing the youngsters in her Khartoum kindergarten class to name a teddy bear "Mohammed", according to The Telegraph (via Memeorandum). Jesus wept (and I don't mean by this to insult Jesus or anyone who believes in him.) When I see this sort of thing in the news, I feel on the verge of turning into Christopher Hitchens.
Evidently Ms Gillan Gibbons asked her class of seven year olds what they'd like the bear to be called. The name "Mohammed" was the top contender; 20 of the 23 children voted for it. Each weekend one of the children would take the bear home and keep a journal of what it got up to during its visit. Now Ms. Gibbons is charged with blasphemy and is facing punishment under sharia law. (Telegraph)
She was arrested "under "under article 125 of the criminal law", on suspicion of insulting faith and religion."(Telegraph) The school where Ms Gibbons teaches is an independent school for children aged 4-18 and is governed by a board which represents "major Christian denominations in Sudan." (Telegraph) It's attended by Christians and Muslims and is popular with wealthy Sudanese.(Telegraph)
Though a member of the consulate said she is well despite this ordeal, an angry mob has gathered round the Sudanese gaol where she is being held. (Telegraph)
Apparently---this is hard to get my head around---the blasphemy had to do with making an image of the prophet, which under Islamic law is forbidden. In other words, calling a teddy bear "Mohammed" = making an image. On the diary the children used was a picture of the bear with the words "My name is Mohammed" written underneath. (CBBC) The bear itself was "not marked in any way." (CBBC) A bit of a technicality, that, when I'm still stuck back at "gets 40 lashes and six months for inadvertent mistake" part of the story.
According to the BBC she has been sacked by the school where she was teaching (see video). Very nice. Meanwhile, UK officials are trying to secure her release (see video).
Memeorandum links the story, and many blogger reactions, here.
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LINKED
Briton faces lashes in Sudan over teddy named Mohammed (Telegraph)
I've just finished reading "The Looming Tower", which spends quite some time discussing some of the more radical interpretations of the Islamic faith. I think, if I'm interpreting things correctly, that the blasphemy question comes from creating an idol in Mohammed's name. At least that was my first thought when I read the original story. For example, in Egypt, Muslims aren't supposed to have statues in their homes because those can be worshiped as idols.
I'm not saying it's right as far as human rights; I'm just trying to figure out why they think the way they do so I can understand. I don't think any of us will get anywhere until we have some sort of understanding of where the other is coming from.
Posted by: J. Lynne | November 28, 2007 at 12:02 PM