Teacher Arrested for Blasphemy in Sudan

[Kitmitsu]

Not sure if many of you have heard this but a British teacher has been arrested for blasphemy in Sudan. Her class of 7 year olds had to name a teddy bear for a project and they named it "Mohammed". She's now in prison for 15 days. How the hell is naming a bear Mohammed blasphemy?

Worst thing is that there's protests outside the prison asking for her to actually be shot...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2007/11/071126_sudan.shtml

[deceptacon]

what. . the . . hell.
the students are the one that named the bear !

[Whiplash]

I was wondering if anyone would bring this up; at least she escaped the public flogging. It probably wasn't the fairest of trials and I heard an interview with some prominent British muslim (can't remember his exact position) who was very upset with the verdict because he didn't think she should've been arrested and neither did any muslim he knew and feared it would cause relationships between them and non-muslim British people to deteriorate further. A damaging political incident, but at least it can be argued about without the risk of her losing her life.

[Ringlets]

Surely its only blasphemous if the teacher was a Muslim? I mean, come on. Its like saying that only Christians can say "Oh my God" (even though they're not supposed to), and if anyone else says it, its blasphemous to a religion they dont follow.

[Neal]

Edit: Fine.

Their government is bollocks and that is well unfair. Religious fanatics do my head in.

[Thefutureisnow]

Every religion has its fanatics, the protests were probably started by a fanatical muslim sect

[Ringlets]

http://img.4chan.org/b/thumb/1196440626600s.jpg

Insert related /b/ post here.

[Kitmitsu]

You can't hotlink to 4chan. Also this thread is in serious discussion. Let's all be serious about it.

[Ringlets]

You can't hotlink to 4chan. Also this thread is in serious discussion. Let's all be serious about it.

He says having sneakily edited Dantes post. Ive said my part, you cant be blasphemous to a religion you arent part of.

[Kitmitsu]

Wtf!? I didn't edit his post o_O. Not sure why it did that.

Well surely you could be blasphemous in their eyes when you insult their religion. In any case they have gone way overboard with actually sentencing her.

[Lifrasthir]

I was gunna post about this yesterday but decided not to in the end. :rolleyes: What surprised me was the article I read said that people burst into her house (I think), saying they wanted to kill her...Couldn't it have been a big misuderstanding?

[BlueOni]

She should have known better. That's what happens when cultures clash.

[Sundance Kid]

I was watching this on CNN past couple of days, and they were reading emails about what the people thought (the people being all American) they were pretty much insulting the Islamic religion...and that's ignorance to me, because like what Whippy said there were Islams who were upset about the whole thing....not all Muslims are like kill obsessed, I know they're not.....But I wonder what Halfmetal will say about this....I mean he is Msulim and may be able to shed some light on this whole situation....

[Alice]

What this woman did was a simple mistake. She is a human being and human beings make mistakes. I understand that it is different in other cultures but she wasn't aiming to insult anyone. What is wrong with this world? People are using religion as a tool of fear and control. Shouldn't religion be peaceful and rightious?

[Sundance Kid]

I wouldn't say religion as being peaceful and righteous honestly
ANY religion not just Islam

[Alice]

I wouldn't say religion as being peaceful and righteous honestly
ANY religion not just Islam

Well, you are right about that actually but it does give most people (that I know) "peace of mind". :/ I'm also not exactly a very religious person so I sort shot off some random words because I'm a little upset about reading this article. It's not right what they are doing to her. Then again, it is another country and what she did was considered blasphemy in their eyes. The woman wasn't even a Muslim...it's just not fair.

[Sundance Kid]

I don't think it matters to those who wanted to persecute her whether or not she was Muslim or any other religion if she is of any...
From my understanding she isn't going to be punished like they wanted her to be...
If I'm not mistaken she is getting 15 days in jail
Not unless I am confusing it with another story
If not then she has 11-10 days left

[Whiplash]

No, 15 days in jail then immediate deportation back to the U.K. was her sentence.

It's such a common name in that region of the world and the children were the ones suggesting it so she probably thought it would be okay.

[Sundance Kid]

Oh yeah that's right she is being deported :/
They said this morning she has I think 11-10 days left now

[Devious]

I don't get it. What's wrong with Mohammed?

[Whiplash]

What's wrong with naming the bear that? Well it is the name of their prophet and some Muslims take offense at a stuffed animal having the same name, many others don't.

[Sundance Kid]

Yeah there's nothing wrong with it on other religions except for in Islam apparently

[Pixel]

what. . the . . hell.
the students are the one that named the bear !

Ah, but you see, children are supposedly always innocent and pure.....<_<

The whole issue is stupid. I can see that they MIGHT take offense if the teacher named the bear, he would now what he was doing.

But the kids don't and the teacher cannot control what the kids named the bear.

[Sundance Kid]

Yes but she couldv'e told them to pick another name
Thing is: Did she really know any better??

[Whiplash]

Like I said, even if she did have some reservations she probably thought it was okay if the kids were suggesting it; presumably they'd know more about their own religion than she would.

[Sundance Kid]

Okay teacher released from jail as of today, she is going home tomorrow morning

[Whiplash]

Damn you, I was just about to say that!

[Sundance Kid]

mwahahahaha
xD

I am up all night usually watching teh news sowee whippy

[Pain Clone]

Okay teacher released from jail as of today, she is going home tomorrow morning

I sore that on the news as well.

[Whiplash]

mwahahahaha
xD

I am up all night usually watching teh news sowee whippy

I heard about it hours ago but couldn't get on to post about it (and didn't think about it) BUT THIS REVELATION WAS MINE!

[Nagase]

She should have known better. That's what happens when cultures clash.

Nope, thats what happens in religon. We used to execute people for tons of religous reasons, its only because we somehow changed the bible to suit modern society that we still don't.

[Lifrasthir]

Nope, thats what happens in religon. We used to execute people for tons of religous reasons, its only because we somehow changed the bible to suit modern society that we still don't.

It's not just the Bible, if someone were to change it, it would be every religious book. But since I don't necessarily agree with your statement, I will say no more.

[Nagase]

It's not just the Bible, if someone were to change it, it would be every religious book.

People used to get hung for blasphemy and many other anti religous things, yes, in european and western religons, like christianity. But now....we just...don't. xD

[Halfmetal]

Not sure if many of you have heard this but a British teacher has been arrested for blasphemy in Sudan. Her class of 7 year olds had to name a teddy bear for a project and they named it "Mohammed". She's now in prison for 15 days. How the hell is naming a bear Mohammed blasphemy?

Worst thing is that there's protests outside the prison asking for her to actually be shot...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2007/11/071126_sudan.shtml

Poor Mrs. Gibbons! Looks like she's been a bit of a political pawn here. I don't think religion's got anything to do with it, other than an excuse. If it weren't then the Sudanese government would have taken into account the fact that it was the children who named the bear and not her.

The crisis in the middle east and muslim extremism has become so dominant becuase they're all afraid of the West. They see them as people that are trying to take over them make them stop believing in God. They're afriad. Bush and Blair didn't help particularly much when they invaded Iraq. Now the countries in the middle east have become 'twitchy' if you know what I mean, to anything any westerner does. It's another extreme reaction to what they percieve as another westerner trying to take over.

[Sundance Kid]

I agree with you there Half, it is ashame I think that this happened..I'm glad it's "over" and she's back home now...