UK teacher jailed over teddy row

[Catman]

What a joke:

A British teacher has been found guilty in Sudan of insulting religion after she allowed her primary school class to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

 

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, has been sentenced to 15 days in prison and will then be deported.

 

She had been accused on three counts of insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.

 

The Foreign Office said it was extremely disappointed by the verdict after a day-long hearing in Khartoum.

 

The Sudanese ambassador is being called back to the Foreign Office to explain the decision. Officials there say the mood has changed as a result of the verdict.

[...]

the rest of the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7119399.stm

 

Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erthun0Pauc

[Fin]

Too me it sounded like the kids actually named the bear, peace loving religions aye?

[creepingfear]

Funny how Islam promotes itself as peace and all things nice and yet the mere mention of a word they don't like and it's "DIE YOU INFIDEL ######! DIE! BURN! BURN!"

 

And then they wonder why the West doesn't like them.

 

It's a funny old world.

[GuzziHero]

The Church of Reality, Request 13 (of 10):

 

"Always remember - All religion is dumb"

 

This isnt going to help the view of Islam by other countries/faiths one little bit. Theyd be wise to drop this nonsense.

[Night_raven]

On the otherside though,.. she wasn't sentenced to 40 lashes, so give them some breathing space at least.

 

Though having spoken to a Muslim friend, he thought there was nothing wrong with the naming of the bear.

 

 

[BigAl]

Theyd be wise to drop this nonsense.

 

This is 2007, if they where wise they wouldn't believe in religion.

[creepingfear]

George Carlin's view on religion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o

 

Classic. Non PG-13 though so be warned.

 

My own personal opinion is that religion, regardless of it's form or doctrine, should be systematically eradicated from human history at all costs and should never be allowed to control people ever again.

[snorkelman]

Not their fault - its their country they can do as they please.

 

Our fault for being daft enough to have anything to do with them untill such time as they get around to having a religious reformation of their own and quit doing it.

 

 

[Guinness]

Yeah,

 

She was reported by a fellow school employee and not the parents of the children as originally thought-

 

Sounds to me like the Religion of petty Human jealousy more than anything....

 

I have a fiver that says one of the judges or magistrates or bloody shamans or whatever they have down there ends up being related to the complainer

 

Humans are teh suck

 

 

 

 

Slainte!

[Spedz]

I prefeer Bill hicks Point of View of Religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxsGyljd6B0

[amateurstuntman]

Right, this is really getting on my nerves.

 

1.

Islam is a fine religion, the text of it is among the most tolerant of all organised religion.

 

2.

Extremism is bonkers. Islamic extremists, Catholic extremists, Protestant extremists. Any kind of extremists.

 

3.

A country that has Islamic law is not exactly the same as a country with regular non-denominational law and predominantly Islamic citizens.

 

4.

Sudan has some (to western eyes) draconian laws.

 

5.

That is their law and it is none of our business.

 

6.

If you move to a country and fail to follow their laws either through ignorance or through arrogance then that is your fault and you should expect to be punished according to local laws.

 

She is a teacher and she should know better, if she didn't know, that is her fault. If she didn't care, that is her fault. If she didn't agree with the prevailing culture and law she didn't have to move there.

She needs to toughen up and thank the locals for not lashing her, she got off lightly.

 

To give my personal position on Sudanese law though, I think it is madness, religion is fine but it should be private.

I don't ever want to have someone else's religion thrust upon me and by that I do mean church bells on a Sunday, Easter, morning prayer calling, Ramadan, Hanukkah and bloody Christmas.

I think crucifixes, burkas, skull caps and all outward artifacts of religion should be banned.

Religion has no place in the governing of a society.

 

Have faith if you want but keep it to yourself.

 

However, have a care for other people's culture.

In their country, they are right.

 

 

*edit*

 

Just to add.

 

You don't see stoned Dutch people being arrested in Thailand and saying "It's legal in our country"

No, show some respect.

I got arrested and jailed in Turkey and deported from Singapore and you don't see me complaining about them do you?

No, I broke the law and got in trouble.

 

I got what I deserved.

[Spedz]

The odd thing about Sudan is though that it's Christian in southern regions so maybe the 'extremist' Islamic laws is because of the fact well.. There might be some tense between the two regions?

[Guinness]

Spleen venting understood and appreciated amateurstuntman,

 

But I seriously doubt that this has anything more to do with than the ugly side of Human personal nature like greed, avarice, and jealousy-

 

The Teddy had already been named by the children using a common and popular name, the parents of the children didn't mind, it was one person that complained- heck- even the schoolmaster was embarrassed and outraged when they heard what had happened.

 

'Religion' is being used and obviously misused as the excuse to send this poor British Teacher packing because someone didn't like her or someone's job was taken by her or felt threatend by her or some other petty common reason like that is my guess.

 

But yeah, you can't turn someone out for that kind of thing, so they use the Koran er uh...Qur'an to hide behind- not surprising at all to me.

 

 

Ahh but "Arrested and Deported" you say...yessss I see... let me just write that down here in my little book....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slainte!

[amateurstuntman]

Well there is pretty much a civil war going on.

 

The north was conquered by the Egyptians and was run by them until independance and that is the administrative centre of the country.

The land in the south is pretty rubbish and was never properly subjugated.

The south is where the majority of the christians are but they are outnumbered by the people who hold their own local beliefs.

The southerners have been ravaged by war and are in a much worse state than the northerners.

 

Religious divide? check. People on the "wrong" side screwed over? check.

 

Ring any bells?

 

 

 

*edit*

 

To answer Guinness.

Yes, Corrupt leaders use religion (any religion) to control weak minded individuals and as an excuse to get rid of the strong minded ones.

However, she should never have given them the excuse to get rid of them.

The Sudanese are using her as an example of a corrupt decadent westerner and if that is the case then that too is wrong.

There is not a single person in this whole debacle who hasn't done something stupid or malicious.

 

Forget about them, who really cares, thousands of people die of malaria every month and no-one gives a ######, why should I care about a scouse teacher who chose to go to an islamic country and disrespect islam.

 

 

For the record I got thrown out of Singapore after having been in the country for about 2 minutes for pissing against the building that housed the headquarters of the border patrol police force.

That was stupid and it was my fault.

 

The Turkey thing was a misunderstanding involving my friend trying to buy drugs from an undercover policeman, the policeman trying to cuff my friend without identifying himself as a policeman, my friend screaming that he was being kidnapped, me running accross the bar from where I was chatting up some girl and hitting the (as yet unidentified) cop and all bloody hell breaking loose.

I beat up three cops, got the ###### kicked out of me and did a month in the lovely local prison.

That was also stupid and (partly) my fault.

 

 

[Spedz]

Hmmm... You're quiet right Amateurstuntman however humanity itself it brought upon it's own problems. It's bigoted, hypocritical and it really does need a good beating.

[Guinness]

Ahhh -sigh-

 

Not really the point I'm trying to make but well....ok

 

interest....waning.....Stout level.....too.........low

 

 

 

Briefly:

There is no evidence offered anywhere that your fellow British subject was disrespecting Islam at all She went down there as a charity for gosh sakes and the kids named the Teddy- Ok, yeah she gets points off for not being SMRT enough to not say "Hang on a tic...'ow bout Terrence, or Bobbie, or even oh I don't know, wots the word for 'Bear' in your language then?" I'll give you that-

 

I believe the charges leveled at Mrs. Doubtfire were simply what they had on the books- They had to use the disrespecting Islam 'law' because they don't have a "We don't like you now go home" law

 

See some grand 'Disrespect the locals by the big-bad West' Conspiracy if you must, I honestly see people being dopey people here.

[Spedz]

interest....waining.....Stout level.....too.........low

 

Aye looks like it from your name and all Murphys FTW!. Joking aside the problem is that she did call teddy a name of Religious importance. Especially the fact it could be argued a false Icon which is illegal over there ....Apparently. Also if she was a teacher she should been of aware, of the tension in Sudan. While she she was just looking for the kids to give hope or Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, either way she should of taken care of number one.

 

[Kraut]

The Religion of Perpetual Outrage, more like it.

 

This is called Sharia, or Islamic Law, and rules most Islamic countries. For those who don't pay attention, THIS is what the war on terror is about. Sharia and the oppression it brings is in NO way compatible with democracy. Ask that woman who got 200 lashes in Saudi Arabia about sharia. Ask the gays in Iran. Ask Theo Van Goth (of Vincent van Goth bloodline) who, along with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, made a documentary of the oppression of women in Islam and was murdered for it and Ali requires 24/7 security for the crime of expressing their views. Ask the Dutch and Swedish cartoonists who used their right of free speech and the massive amounts of rioting around the world, and even STATES wanting them to be silenced.

 

More info:

www.thereligionofpeace.com

 

 

EDIT:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...bayphotohosting

[Misfit]

So, according to your post, the War on Terror is not actually a war on terrorists and the eradication of terrorism, but rather, the ethnic cleansing of the Islamic culture?

[iloveics]

This really made me mad, she went out there to help them, and the *fruitcage* her over with there petty excuse.

 

Stuntman I doubt you would be saying the same thing if you had called a bear mohammed and were facing 40 lashes < barbaric.

[Kraut]

So, according to your post, the War on Terror is not actually a war on terrorists and the eradication of terrorism, but rather, the ethnic cleansing of the Islamic culture?

Yes, I said the entire Islamic culture is evil. Because when I said Sharia, it means Islam as a whole. Not to mention Islam =/= race.

[Pablo]

This is called Sharia, or Islamic Law, and rules most Islamic countries. For those who don't pay attention, THIS is what the war on terror is about.

 

No it isn't.

 

[GuzziHero]

Yes, I said the entire Islamic culture is evil. Because when I said Sharia, it means Islam as a whole. Not to mention Islam =/= race.

 

Thats funny. Ask anyone living in one of the European colonies 80 years ago that same question and theyd have said christianity is pretty damn evil...

[Misfit]

Stuntman I doubt you would be saying the same thing if you had called a bear mohammed and were facing 40 lashes < barbaric.

 

I certainly would be saying the same as Stuntman, as it would be my fault, for not respecting their religion, culture and for not knowing the laws of the country that I am working in.

[Pablo]

Yes, I said the entire Islamic culture is evil. Because when I said Sharia, it means Islam as a whole. Not to mention Islam =/= race.

 

And it's goodbye to you for 2 months for that blatant racism. Let me be absolutely clear here: I won't stand for that ######. Don't like it? Leave.

 

Few things rile me, but that's one of them.