A crazy bear naming mishap

[Jan Deal]

A nice even handed reaction by the Sudanese government:

A British schoolteacher has been arrested in Sudan accused of insulting Islam's Prophet, after she allowed her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Colleagues of Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, said she made an "innocent mistake" by letting the six and seven-year-olds choose the name.

Ms Gibbons was arrested after several parents made complaints.

A spokesman from the British Embassy in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, said it was unclear whether she had been charged.

Embassy officials are expected to visit Ms Gibbons in custody later.

"We are in contact with the authorities here and they have visited the teacher and she is in a good condition," an embassy spokesman said.

The spokesman said the naming of the teddy happened months ago and was chosen by the children because it is a common name in the country.

"This happened in September and the parents did not have a problem with it," he said.

The BBC's correspondent Amber Henshaw said Ms Gibbons' punishment could be up to six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine.

The school has been closed until January for fear of reprisals.

Fellow teachers at Khartoum's Unity High School told Reuters news agency they feared for Ms Gibbons' safety after receiving reports that men had started gathering outside the police station where she was being held.

The school's director, Robert Boulos, said: "This is a very sensitive issue. We are very worried about her safety.

"This was a completely innocent mistake. Miss Gibbons would have never wanted to insult Islam."

Mr Boulos said Ms Gibbons was following a British national curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and this year's topic was the bear.

Ms Gibbons, who joined the school in August, asked a seven-year-old girl to bring in her teddy bear and asked the class to pick names for it, he said.

"They came up with eight names including Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad," Mr Boulos said, adding that she then had the children vote on a name.

Twenty out of the 23 children chose Muhammad as their favourite name.

Mr Boulos said each child was then allowed to take the bear home at weekends and told to write a diary about what they did with it.

He said the children's entries were collected in a book with a picture of the bear on the cover and a message which read, "My name is Muhammad."

The bear itself was not marked or labelled with the name in any way, he added.

It is seen as an insult to Islam to attempt to make an image of the Prophet Muhammad.

Mr Boulos said Ms Gibbons was arrested on Sunday at her home inside the school premises after a number of parents complained to Sudan's Ministry of Education.

He said police had seized the book and asked to interview the girl who owned the bear.

The country's state-controlled Sudanese Media Centre reported that charges were being prepared "under article 125 of the criminal law" which covers insults against faith and religion.

No-one at the ministries of education or justice was available for comment.

Mr Boulos told the BBC he was confident she would not face a jail sentence.

"So far there is not any formal accusation, you see, so it wouldn't reach that, it will be just a fine. We are struggling with the authorities and our advocates to just release her, and then the whole case will be dismissed," he said.

One Muslim teacher at the independent school for Christian and Muslim children, who has a child in Ms Gibbons' class, said she had not found the project offensive.

"I know Gillian and she would never have meant it as an insult. I was just impressed that she got them to vote," the teacher said.

In Liverpool, a family spokeswoman said Ms Gibbons' grown children, John and Jessica - both believed to be in their 20s - were not commenting on her arrest.

"I have spoken with her children and they do not want to say anything and aggravate the situation over there," she said.

Friends and neighbours of Ms Gibbons expressed their worry for the former deputy headteacher and respected educator who moved to Sudan in July.

"Gillian is a very talented and able teacher and she was extremely popular with the pupils at this school," said Gillian Jones, Ms Gibbons former colleague at Dovecot Primary School in suburban Aigburth.

Cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad printed in several European newspapers sparked violent protests around the world in 2006.

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | 'Muhammad' teddy teacher arrested

[Alan Cynic]

They had the same problem over here with The Cult of Rupert in the 1920s. They weren't happy about the comic strip in the Daily Express, and burnt effigies of Mary Tourtel and, later, Alfred Bestall.
They were especially miffed that Rupert was wearing a scarf just like their prophet's one

I want to rename the Pittodrie mascot 'Wee Allah-kie' just to see what happens.

[Chris]

If she'd followed Blue Peter's example and just ignored what the kids voted to call it she'd have been fine.

[WoodyRATM]

Originally Posted by Chris

If she'd followed Blue Peter's example and just ignored what the kids voted to call it she'd have been fine.

Haha harsh but true.

[Dave]

Olly's Onions: Creator of Paddington Bear goes into hiding

[Diesel]

Have we in the UK not donated millions of £'s to these stupid idiots over the years?

Why don't we start an appeal for tissue paper and spectacles so that these brainwashed morons can dry their fucking eyes, see the light and develop a sense of perspective?

For naming a fucking toy bear??? Jesus/Allah/Mohamed/Page/Plant...get a fucking grip peeps.

I have to say it - I'm sick of these extremist cunts.

...and don't start me with the old "oooh, that's their religion and they're very fanatical about it" pish. There's nothing religious about shouting for the head of a schoolteacher who's done fuck all to deserve it.

cunts! Cunts! CUNTS!

[Tubthumper]

According to the BBC website, they're now out in the streets protesting for her to be shot.

This whole story is a joke, I say we get rid of the Sudanese consulate and tell them to go fuck themselves.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Tubthumper

According to the BBC website, they're now out in the streets protesting for her to be shot.

This whole story is a joke, I say we get rid of the Sudanese consulate and tell them to go fuck themselves.

Aye! wielding machetes!

Maybe if the same lu-lu's clubbed together and expeded as much energy working on an effective irrigation system, they'd have less time to spend foaming at the mouth over non-issues

Fuck all this PC shite - I'm with you - kick the Sudanese consulate and any other loudmouth dissidents the fuck out of the UK - permanantly

[Tubthumper]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Aye! wielding machetes!

Maybe if the same lu-lu's clubbed together and expeded as much energy working on an effective irrigation system, they'd have less time to spend foaming at the mouth over non-issues

Fuck all this PC shite - I'm with you - kick the Sudanese consulate and any other loudmouth dissidents the fuck out of the UK - permanantly

You make a banner and I'll meet you in Union Street in an hour!