Teacher’s teddy bear taboo in Sudan could result in 40 lashes
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- November
- 28
The Associated Press reports that a British teacher is accused of inciting religious hatred in Sudan after her class named a teddy bear “Muhammed.”
The teacher, 54-year-old Gillian Gibbons, was arrested Sunday after one of her student’s parents complained, saying she named the bear after Islam’s prophet and founder.
If convicted, Gibbons could face a whipping of up to 40 lashes, a fine or six months in prison, the article states.
Apparently, Gibbons was teaching her students  around age 7  about animals and asked one of them to bring in her teddy bear. She then asked the students to pick names for it and they proposed Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad. In the end the pupils voted to name it Muhammad, the article says, citing the Sudanese school’s director.
Gibbons was a teacher at the Unity High School, a private English-language school with elementary to high school levels, was founded by Christian groups, but 90 percent of its students are Muslim, mostly from upper-class Sudanese families.
Muhammad is a common name among Muslim men, but could be viewed as insulting if given to an animal.
Northern Sudan’s legal system is based on Islam’s Sharia law, which harshly punishes blasphemy. Any depiction of the prophet is forbidden in Islam, for fear it would provoke idolatry. Caricatures of Muhammad in some European media last year sparked riots in several Muslim countries.
MSNBC has an article on the story as well. Here’s the link: Charged over teddy bear ‘insult’
What are your thoughts on the matter? How do you think this situation should be handled?
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 2:25 pm by Christina Jeng.
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That’s surprising because Islam is the religion of peace.
Ironic since the title of this blog is “Diversity Matters.” There is nothing diverse about a country ruled on Islam law. Diversity will get you killed.
Barbaric.
If this teacher gets even one lash, we should immediately withdraw all aid.
According to the BBC, the Islamic Society in the UK sells teddy bears with prophets names on them. For example, you can get Adam the Prayer Bear. Adam is a prophet.
If the Islamic Society can do that, then why is this lady (who did not actually name the bear, the children did) being punished at all?
If Muslims themselves can’t decide on this, how are the rest of us going to be able to figure it out?
Evidently the children couldn’t figure it either.
I have a couple of questions that readers of this site may be able to help me with.
1. Some commentators have condemn the teacher who they say should have know better or should have acquired a better knowledge of Islam. But isn’t there something phony about this whole controversy? The bear was named sometime in September. The bear went home with students. The teacher had a Muslim assistant. If this was truly offensive shouldn’t someone have alerted her early on?
2. Why is the reaction an arrest on criminal charges? Why can’t a religious figure visit with the teacher, explain why the act is offensive, and seek a change in action?
3. According to the Sunan, Mohammad was a humble man who wanted Allah not a man to be the focus of Islam. Fearing idolatry he forbade images. Isn’t the reaction of the clerics akin to idolatry? Haven’t they raised Mohammad to a position he very much disdained?
4. Mohammad Ali the American fighter has an action figure. Is this figure hahal because it bears the Prophet’s name?