Another example of tolerance abroad

[muskrat89]

This stuff really, really gets old after awhile. Especially when here, in North America, we go out of our way usually (and rightly so, perhaps) to not offend people of other faiths, or those that are new to our culture.

From http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1687755,00.html?cnn=yes

The Blasphemous Teddy Bear

Monday, Nov. 26, 2007 By ROB CRILLY/KHARTOUM

British primary school teacher Gillian Gibbons has been arrested in Sudan, accused of insulting Islam's Prophet by letting her class of 7-year-olds name a teddy bear Mohammed.

It probably seemed like the most innocent of ideas to the newly arrived teacher from England, still settling into life in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. She asked her class of six and seven-year-olds to dress up and name a teddy bear, and keep a diary of his outings. She hoped it would provide material for projects for the rest of the year. And it might have, except for the name the children chose for their bear: Muhammad.


Now Gillian Gibbons, 54, is spending her second night in a Sudanese prison, accused of insulting Islam's Prophet. She faces a public lashing or up to six months in prison if found guilty on charges of blasphemy. And Unity High School — one of a number of exclusive British-run schools in the Sudanese capital — has been closed as staff fear reprisals from Islamic extremists. Robert Boulos, the school's director, said the incident had been blown out of all proportion, but added that the school would remain closed until January to let ill feelings blow over.

"This was a completely innocent mistake," he said in an office decorated with sepia photographs dating back to the school's colonial heyday. "Miss Gibbons would have never wanted to insult Islam."

Police raided the school, where Gibbons also lives, on Sunday.

"We tried to reason with them but we felt they were coming under strong pressure from Islamic courts," said Boulus. "There were men with big beards asking where she was and saying they wanted to kill her."

A similar angry crowd had gathered by the time she arrived at the Khartoum police station where she is being held.

Unity, founded early in the last century, is one of several British schools run along Christian lines in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. Its high brick walls shut out the dust of everyday Sudanese life, transporting the visitor into the shady courtyard of an Oxbridge college or English private school. Many of its pupils come from well-to-do Sudanese families keen for their children to get the best education that money can buy. But Sudan is ruled by religious conservatives. Sharia law was introduced in 1991; alcohol is banned and women must wear headscarves. Convicted criminals are routinely flogged or executed.

The bizarre turn of events that led to the teacher's arrest began in September, soon after she arrived in the country, according to colleagues who have rallied in her support. Her young class was due to study the behavior and habitat of bears, so she suggested that pupils bring in a teddy bear to serve as a case study. A seven-year-old girl brought in her favorite cuddly toy and the rest of the class was invited to name him. After considering the names Hassan and Abdullah, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Muhammad — the first name of the most popular boy in the class.

"No parents or teachers complained because they knew she had no bad intention," said Boulos. Until last week. Parents from another class raised concerns with the school. Then Sudan's feared police came calling at the weekend. Gibbons' colleagues said they feared a disgruntled member of staff may be using the issue to cause trouble.

Bishop Ezikiel Kondo, chairman of the school council, said: "The thing may be very simple, but they just may make it bigger. It's a kind of blackmail." Khartoum has exploded with anger at accusations of blasphemy in the past. Last year angry demonstrators denounced cartoons of the Prophet that appeared in Danish newspapers. And there have been protests at the actions of Zoe's Ark, a French charity accused of trying to smuggle children out of neighboring Chad.

Now everyone is waiting to see whether religious leaders or politicians will take their supporters onto the streets this time. Most parents arriving at the school gates were supportive of the British teacher. One mother, whose seven-year-old son was in Gibbons' class, said her family had not been offended by the name. "Our Prophet Muhammad tells us to be forgiving," she said. "So she should be released. She didn't mean any of this at all."

 

[Bane]

As Bill Maher said "...if your TGIF is a beheading, you're bringing up the rear of civilization"

 

[riggermade]

    Another case of religious leaders proving they are out to lunch.  I am going to sue the makers of Waterboy for calling their donkey Steve...I am insulted

 

[zipperhead_cop]

WTF?  ??? 
I deal with people named Mohammad all the time.  Is there some sort of religious moratorium on naming inanimate objects?  Or are teddy bears just inherently infidel-esque and clearly a blatant symbol of crusaders everywhere? 

 

[Danjanou]

So I guess these are off my Christmas present list this year?

 

[PMedMoe]

And it gets worse.....Article link from CBC news

Teacher to serve 15 days in teddy bear blasphemy case

A Sudanese court sentenced a British schoolteacher to 15 days in prison on Thursday, after finding her guilty of insulting Islam when she used a stuffed bear named "Muhammad" as a teaching aid for her class.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, was sentenced to 15 days in prison, to be followed by a deportation order, one of the lawyers on her defence team said Thursday.

More on link

 

[Bane]

And it gets, you guessed it, even worse.....http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/11/30/sudan.bears/index.html

"Hundreds of angry protesters, some waving ceremonial swords from trucks equipped with loud speakers, gathered Friday outside the presidential palace to denounce a teacher whose class named a teddy bear "Mohammed" -- some calling for her execution."

 

[Thompson_JM]

But remeber.... its a religion of peace......  :

yeah #@$@ing right.............

 

[vonGarvin]

But remeber.... its a religion of peace......  :
yeah #@$@ing right.............

And I suppose you've read the Koran?  What do you know about Islam other than suicide bombers and Burkas?

Let us not forget for a moment that not all who claim to practice a certain religion actually do.  There are Roman Catholics who do NOT treat others as they would be treated, there are Jews who covet their neighbours wives.  David Koresh claimed to be Christ himself, even as he wielded automatic weapons.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

I happened to catch the John Oakley show this morning (Friday 30 Nov) on 640 AM (http://www.640toronto.com) and he had some imam (can't remember his name) from Toronto on who agreed with the punishment for the teacher. He also said that sentencing to the gangrape victim in Saudi Arabia was justified. His argument was that "when in Rome, do as the Romans" and that under the Koran these punishments were justified.  In other words, when in a foreign country you should know what the laws are. When challenged by the host and some callers his tactic was to shout them down. Interesting enough a couple of guys called in supporting him. Just shows you that we have the fanatics here in Canada.

If you go to the 640 AM website you should be able find it in the archives. The interview took place between 0915 and 0945 hrs.

 

[vonGarvin]

Didn't Jerry Fallwell say that 9/11 was punishment for the US for its tolerance of homosexuals?  When in Rome indeed....

 

[Traveller]

Its news like this, that i use as ammunition in my conversations with people who oppose our participation in places overseas. I only can shake my head at hearing this. I just cant understand how a group of people can march in the streets and call for the death of a teacher, because the children in her class decided on a name (one of which was named Mohammed himself.) I think if she was wearing a burqua and was not white/english it may have been seen as praise, and not used as an excuse for more violence.

 

[geo]

From what I gather, the teacher "permitted" her class to call the teddy bear "Muhamad".
The bear travelled around to the various student's homes and pert much everyone was ok with the bear & his name.
It only takes one "screw loose" to put a wrench in the machine.

Imand & religious zealots wanted the teacher stoned, whipped, caned & jailed for this religious breach in etiquette.

I believe that the government and the court's decision to "jail 15 days & deport" was the best they could do without creating riot & mayhem in the streets - which could throw the country into more trouble than it is already.....

For jail, she's prolly in incarcerated into an unmarked hotel room under house arrest, counting the days before she will be put on a plane to the west.

When in Rome....

 

[dapaterson]

Didn't Jerry Fallwell say that 9/11 was punishment for the US for its tolerance of homosexuals?  When in Rome indeed....

And weren't the IRA and the UDF all good Christians?

Therefore, all Christians are violent terrorists.

 

[Thompson_JM]

There is a Difference in my Opinion....

Ive met alot more christians who openly denounce Violent Action, and the existance of extremist branches of their religion, then I have of Muslims in the same situation.

and belive me, Ive had conversations with both sides...

this is why I dont belive in that Crap people call organized religion....

Ive noticed it really tends to start more problems then it could ever hope to solve.
and for the record, I was raised Catholic. So Im not Ignorant to religion... I just got older and realized that it does nothing IMHO to better me as a person.

Islam also seems to be the only overtly vocal religion these days that is still condoning violence as a norm. or a way to solve problems...
and its not just the crazy wild ones over there. like Retired AF Guy , ive seen em in canada too....
its only a religion of peace as long as you follow all of their rules, and agree with everything they say. if you dont then youre a filthy infidel....

case in point: if someone drew Jesus Humping a Cross, would Catholics all over the world start Blowing up middle eastern embassys? NO!
but draw a picture of Mohammud and the Islam world goes nuts.... it wasnt just Al-Queda throwing Molotov Cocktails at the Embassys......

Are Christians Innocent? hell no.  Have the majority of them learned to express their displeasure through other means then violence? Im going with yes.

...the John Oakley show this morning (Friday 30 Nov) on 640 AM (http://www.640toronto.com) and he had some imam (can't remember his name) from Toronto on who agreed with the punishment for the teacher. He also said that sentencing to the gangrape victim in Saudi Arabia was justified. His argument was that "when in Rome, do as the Romans" and that under the Koran these punishments were justified.

This Blows my mind.... then again, He just happens to live in a country where he has the freedom to talk like that....

as opposed to most of the middle eastern and southwest asian countries of origin for some of these people and their families, where they would be arrested, or killed, or made to dissapear if they spoke out of turn or against the party line.....

Like I said... Religion of peace.... : if theyre so Damn peacefull then why do alot of the predominantly Islamic countries have some of the worst human rights violations out there? why is their Judicial system semblant to something from the middle ages?

Peacefull religions dont take peoples hands off for stealing an apple or stone someone for holding hands in public. (and yes there are plently of loony toon christians out there who are in the same boat. but we try to keep them from getting into too many positions of authority... and have basic human right laws in place to prevent them from screwing with our system too much...)

 

[Flip]

WTF?   ??? 
I deal with people named Mohammad all the time.  Is there some sort of religious moratorium on naming inanimate objects?  Or are teddy bears just inherently infidel-esque and clearly a blatant symbol of crusaders everywhere? 

I think you hit the nail on the head.( second sentence ) - She's white and British, ergo a pissoff
to the local authorities.

As to the Imam in Toronto, let's call his position what it is.
Hate speech.  I'm all for providing him a free one way ticket
to wherever people like that go......

 

[1feral1]

But remeber.... its a religion of peace......  :

yeah #@$@ing right.............

No PC BS from me, the whole lot of them, are off my Christmas list PERIOD!

I've just had it with the shyte they pull.

Regards,

Wes

 

[Flip]

No PC BS from me, the whole lot of them, are off my Christmas list PERIOD!

:rofl:

It might be more frightening to be on your Christmas list... ;D

Cheers Wes!

 

[Bane]

In Soviet Russia, bear names you.

 

[eurowing]

All of this is precisely why I like the Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster.  May his noodly goodness envelope you.