Teacher gets 15 day prison sentence in Sudan over a TEDDY BEAR?!
By laylomo
@laylomo (165)
United States
November 29, 2007 6:57pm CST
A Sudanese court found Gillian Gibbons, a British teacher, guilty of insulting religion as she allowed a teddy bear named "Mohammed." She was given 15 days in prison on Thursday. Moreover, she is likely to be deported after her 15-day sentence.
The problem arose when Gibbons asked her class, consisting of 7-year-old, to name a stuffed teddy bear as part of a school project. She asked them to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habits.
She was well received and loved among the students, as well as their parents.
So do you think that using the name Mohammed would insult or affect Muslims? Do you think this is just?
6 responses
@joey_matthews (8354)
•
30 Nov 07
I would of thought that they'd be able to accept a simple mistake, geez it's kinda barbaric to give a sentace for something so simple. (it's not an actual crime worthy of anything)
Reminds me of my french teacher (who's english) he used to teach english at a frence school and made the mistake of referring to a student as a "pig" which ended up getting sacked. (some sort of insult to call french people animals or something) just shows how lame things can be...
~Joey
@Carnanco (70)
• United States
30 Nov 07
As a non-muslim american, I feel this is absolutely rediculous, but if I were a Sudanese muslim, I may see it differently. I think if you are going to go to foreign country and teach, you should take it upon yourself to learn as much as possible about the local customs, laws and beliefs and be respectful of such. Either way, the punishment does seem overly severe even if it is insulting to the locals.
@smwilliams (647)
• United States
30 Nov 07
This is ridiculous. Im sorry, but if that was a favorite name of students then dont you think thats a good thing? They are talking about insulting religion when its more along the lines of upholding it...Does that mean that every man or boy named Mohammed is insulting religion because they are named after a religious God? Im sorry, but this just get my nostrils flaring over people wasting time and money persecuting the innocent when there are bigger problems on their plates that they should be worried about.
@eyewitness (1575)
• Netherlands
30 Nov 07
I've heard the news too.
And i think i really start to hate the people who think that way.
It doesn't make any sense.How many people are called Muhammed.Why not killing them because they are named after the prophet.How sick can people be.
Those who think that way are sick minded.
This has nothing to do with insulting Muhammed but just naming a teddy bear.How many people are called Jesus?Well in spain it's a very normal name.
You don't kill them for weiring that name right.You don't punish them for wearing that name.
Really this kind of news makes me sick and hate people like that.
@majablanca (66)
• Philippines
30 Nov 07
As far as I know, Muslims do not like it when people use the prophet Muhammed's name or image in a disrespectfult manner. Remember the much criticized cartoon of Muhammed with a turban made out of nuclear arms in Denmark? Muslims think it desecrates the image of Muhammed.
I guess christening a teddy bear with the prophet's name did not sit well the Sudanese. Imagine likening the most revered person in Islam to a four-footed, furry mammal??
@riveream (111)
• Philippines
30 Nov 07
I really think that some Muslims do not like their religion or prophet or God to be insulted. Its too bad for her. What does she know about the religion of the Muslim or even their ways. She was just there to teach not to know more about the Muslim ways. It is not her fault that she did not know that naming her teddy bear "Mohammed" is an insult to the Muslim. It is not fair. Just give her a chance! They should tell her that it is an insult to them; not to punish her for a 15-days prison. It is really unfair.
@xleslieanne (692)
• United States
30 Nov 07
i heard about this story, but at the time she had just been arrested and she hadn't been punished yet. it's outrageous that she got time in PRISON for this. i highly doubt that naming a teddy bear that would have insulted or affected muslims. sure, maybe it would have some..but something always insults another person. me typing this would probably insult someone out there in the world. anyway, it's not just for her to of gotten prison time for this.
