KHARTOUM, Sudan - A British primary school teacher has been arrested in Sudan, accused of insulting Islam's Prophet by letting her class of 7-year-olds name a teddy bear Muhammad, her school said on Monday.

Colleagues of Gillian Gibbons, aged 54 from Liverpool, told Reuters they feared for her safety after receiving reports that young men had already started gathering outside the Khartoum police station where she was being held.


  she had since been charged with "blasphemy," an offence he said was punishable with up to three months in prison and a fine.

Class voted on toy name
Boulos said Gibbons was following a British National Curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and their habitats. This year's animal was the bear.

Gibbons, who joined Unity in August, asked a girl to bring in her teddy bear to help the Year 2 class focus, said Boulos.

The teacher then asked the class to name the toy. "They came up with eight names including Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad. Then she explained what it meant to vote and asked them to choose the name." Twenty out of the 23 children chose Muhammad.

Each child was allowed to take the bear home at weekends and asked to write a diary about what they did with the toy. Each entry was collected in a book with a picture of the bear on the cover, next to the message "My name is Muhammad," said Boulos.

The bear itself was not marked or labeled with the name in any way, he added, saying Sudanese police had now seized the book and had asked to interview the 7-year-old girl.

Unity, an independent school founded in 1902, is governed by a board representing major Christian denominations in Sudan, but teaches both Christians and Muslims aged 4 to 18.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21973378/

The religion of "peace" is at it again

See how tolerant mohamadu and his followers are.

KHARTOUM, Sudan - A British primary school teacher has been arrested in Sudan, accused of insulting Islam's Prophet by letting her class of 7-year-olds name a teddy bear Muhammad, her school said on Monday.

Colleagues of Gillian Gibbons, aged 54 from Liverpool, told Reuters they feared for her safety after receiving reports that young men had already started gathering outside the Khartoum police station where she was being held.


she had since been charged with "blasphemy," an offence he said was punishable with up to three months in prison and a fine.

Class voted on toy name
Boulos said Gibbons was following a British National Curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and their habitats. This year's animal was the bear.

Gibbons, who joined Unity in August, asked a girl to bring in her teddy bear to help the Year 2 class focus, said Boulos.

The teacher then asked the class to name the toy. "They came up with eight names including Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad. Then she explained what it meant to vote and asked them to choose the name." Twenty out of the 23 children chose Muhammad.

Each child was allowed to take the bear home at weekends and asked to write a diary about what they did with the toy. Each entry was collected in a book with a picture of the bear on the cover, next to the message "My name is Muhammad," said Boulos.

The bear itself was not marked or labeled with the name in any way, he added, saying Sudanese police had now seized the book and had asked to interview the 7-year-old girl.

Unity, an independent school founded in 1902, is governed by a board representing major Christian denominations in Sudan, but teaches both Christians and Muslims aged 4 to 18.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21973378/

Are they true Muslim?

I was about to open a thread on this before I read this topic. I will like muslims to enlighten us as to why a woman will be detained, fined or flog for allowing 6 and 7 years old named their teddy bears.

The little kids decided to call their teddy bears muhammed, is that a crime?

that religion, omo he get as he be oh, ! I just don't get it, will the "faithfuls " please explain the reason behind such a barbaric act!!!

there is no need for explanation to this, the police are just way too over reactive
There is no need to arrest the woman ,i have replied to this thread in the politics section

Will the police have done the same thing "over reactive" if the kids named their teddy bear Jesus?

@The Poster: AS much as I can on one hand disagree with the arrest, I have
to wonder what was the ulterior motive of the one, the owner of the TEDDY
BEAR, a lifeless object (Being a toy, a plaything, a rag, etc),to be names after
a revered man, a Prophet?

Thats a woman, who does not believe in the Prophet, but overwhelmingly beloved
and believed by the citizens of her host country. Do you see that a least, she
exercised poor judgement as to proclaim to the Sudanese that she does not
respect their views. In the worst case scenario, she had subtly provoked the
spiritual conscience of her host. She is as if she said aloud,'damn you,
Sudan.'

Would I name a dog or a lifeless possession of mine after Paul, in the USA, and a
Muslim announce it in the Public? No. Yet USA is a secular state, but overwhelmingly
Christians.

The Poster should appreciate that you have to respect the collective opinion of
your host and try your best not to offend your neighbors, especially when you a
super minority and your opinion, regardless of how correct you feel may not count.

It should be noted that the actions of an individual or a small group do not necessarily represent the beliefs of a particular religion, nor is that religion responsible for such actions.

The way muslims behave as a group is very clear, though. At the slightest provocation, they strike. As a group, and not as individuals.

@poster

She didn't named it, the kids in her class came up with several names and they voted to named it muhammed because it was easy to remember. Secondly - no one announced it in public, this incident happened since September. Why are you making a big deal out of it.

If you named a dog paul and announced it publicly in the US, aint no one gonna cough about it brother. I asked if the kids had named the teddy bear Jesus, would the authorities have made a big deal about it?

olabowale

She didn't named it, the kids in her class came up with several names and they voted to named it muhammed because it was easy to remember. Secondly - no one announced it in public, this incident happened since September. Why are you making a big deal out of it.

If you named a dog paul and announced it publicly in the US, aint no one gonna cough about it brother. I asked if the kids had named the teddy bear Jesus, would the authorities have made a big deal about it?

Why did men bring religions into this world through their own selfish interest to wreck havoc on everybody that chose not to believe in one relegion or another.

Mr Olawale, you are talking zero, she didn't name the teddy moha'd, the kids did. so why take it out on the woman. This is a teddy bear for God's sake!!!!!

@The Poster: AS much as I can on one hand disagree with the arrest, I have
to wonder what was the ulterior motive of the one, the owner of the TEDDY
BEAR, a lifeless object (Being a toy, a plaything, a rag, etc),to be names after
a revered man, a Prophet?

You are quailified to be in Alqaeda network.

dafidixone:

You are quailified to be in Alqaeda network.

still laughing  , in fact we should be more concern about our safety now in Nigeria. This man can decided to strike from the atlantic ocean.

olabowale:

@The Poster: AS much as I can on one hand disagree with the arrest, I have
to wonder what was the ulterior motive of the one, the owner of the TEDDY
BEAR, a lifeless object (Being a toy, a plaything, a rag, etc),to be names after
a revered man, a Prophet?

.

some intelligent folks have already answered you.
You say you agree on one hand so which hand disagrees?
The one that bears the machete?
did you read anywhere that she named the bear mohammed?
and what if she did,is Muhammad not a name?
How about all the mad people running around naked in the streets of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia some with names like Muhammed,are you advocating their names be changed because they became insane or worse still their mothers be arrested and lashed with 70 strokes of koboko in Aswani market for naming a would be lunatic,mohammed?

olabowale:



Thats a woman, who does not believe in the Prophet, but overwhelmingly beloved
and believed by the citizens of her host country. Do you see that a least, she
exercised poor judgement as to proclaim to the Sudanese that she does not
respect their views. In the worst case scenario, she had subtly provoked the
spiritual conscience of her host. She is as if she said aloud,'damn you,
Sudan.'

are we reading the same story or something else appears on your screen?
Typcal Islamic merry go round.
what exactly are you saying?
If anybody deserved punishment would be a woman who neither came up with the suggested names nor voted on them.
Shame on you!
The kids  were in Elementary 2
You older Muslims have a lot to learn from innocent children.
Too bad they'll grow up and many will become like you.
Ready to jump up and down with machetes at the mention of Muhammad while we have serial rapists and killers named Muhammad.

olabowale:

Would I name a dog or a lifeless possession of mine after Paul, in the USA, and a
Muslim announce it in the Public? No. Yet USA is a secular state, but overwhelmingly
Christians.

I'm almosted tempted to call you a highly dishonest individual.
You live here in the states and cannot deny the fact that anyone could name their pet pig Jesus and no one would raise an eyebrow.
It wouldn't even be a topic of discussion on nairaland because no Christians would lose sleep over it.
please try again!

The Poster should appreciate that you have to respect the collective opinion of
your host and try your best not to offend your neighbors, especially when you a
super minority and your opinion, regardless of how correct you feel may not count.

How was she to smell her fingers and know what would enrage a bunch of hooligans?
Did she pick the name?
The question is why are you people so touchy like a woman with PMS.
You for instance are a minority in the state of New York yet you walk around daily, freely without fear and can say your mind without fear of being beheaded.
A woman from the west who left the comfort of her home to educate poor children in a war torn country should now be walking on egg shells lest she offend you?
Please let us hear something jare!!

dafidixone:

Are they true Muslim?

No,they are baptists

what a question?

The teddy bear was named after one of their class mates whose name happens to be mohammed. The boy wanted to have it named after him and so he suggested his name. A vote was taken and the kid won and then we find ourselves where we are now on this issue. Why again is a boy not allowed to name a teddy bear mohammed which happens to be his own name??

mdsocks:

It should be noted that the actions of an individual or a small group do not necessarily represent the beliefs of a particular religion, nor is that religion responsible for such actions.

I was wondering why none of the hypocrites had brought up this well worn excuse again. As usual its never islam's fault.

still laughing , in fact we should be more concern about our safety now in Nigeria. This man can decided to strike from the atlantic ocean.

***still laughing and rolling on the floor, kwai aboki!

The kids were in Elementary 2
You older Muslims have a lot to learn from innocent children.
Too bad they'll grow up and many will become like you.
Ready to jump up and down with machetes at the mention of Muhammad while we have serial rapists and killers named Muhammad.

and how many of us muslims on the forum have jumped up carrying matchets ?

and how many of us muslims on the forum have jumped up carrying matchets ?

You would if you had the chance,

Kai Alhaji Olabowale. You've said so many silly things on the forum, but this one takes the cake. Ha! Even Madsocks no support You.

@lafile
Am not here to support anything or anyone here. Am here to post on the forum what i think is right.

There are two sides to the case,

1. The motive behind it. and
2. The reacetion generated

Bro. Olabowale is speaking about the motive behind it and am posting on the reaction generated. There is no way we can be contradicting, since we are talking on different sides of the screen.

[b]mad[/b]socks

boy, i no be mad boy oooooooooooooo my id is MDSOCKS and not MADSOCKS, i think you need goggles

, lol!!

You guys have nearly killed me with laughter! I just had to be covering my mouth so that it wont spill while in the office! Let me give this people another one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wPglHZQf-0&feature=related

I wish Abraham never committed this grave error!

boy, i no be mad boy oooooooooooooo my id is MDSOCKS and not MADSOCKS, i think you need goggles

@cgift
i have known you to be a clown.

@dafidixone

Whatever you think.

mdsocks:

@cgift
i have known you to be a clown.

@dafidixone

Whatever you think.

Well, u are entitled to your opinion. Hope you went to the site I POINTED YOU TO? PLS TRY TO.

cgift thanks for that http link. u make me feel like a woman just by these post and i will connect it to all the post i make from now on. that lady will make heaven before anyone of them clerics.They were sukkker punched, they even tried to trick him to call herself heretics but she simply said i don't believe, me personally i know she's a Muslim. who has rejected the element of calling people infidel, Christian- facing wrath of Allah, son of Zion and so on.

For Heavens Sake let the women go. She is only but a teacher.
I dont understand, dont the islamic religion teaches about forgiveness?

Please my Islamic brothers, forgive and forget and let peace reign ok