British Teacher Found Guilty in Sudan

[Gunny]

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: November 30, 2007

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 29 — The British teacher in Sudan who let her 7-year-old pupils name a class teddy bear Muhammad was found guilty on Thursday of insulting Islam and sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation.

World View interview with Jeffrey Gettleman (mp3)Under Sudanese law, the teacher, Gillian Gibbons, could have spent six months in jail and been lashed 40 times.

“She got a very light punishment,” said Rabie A. Atti, a government spokesman. “Actually, it’s not much of a punishment at all. It should be considered a warning that such acts should not be repeated.”

British officials, meanwhile, were furious. As soon as the news broke that Ms. Gibbons had been convicted, the Foreign Office in London, which had called the whole ordeal “an innocent mistake,” summoned the Sudanese ambassador — for the second time in two days.

“We are extremely disappointed,” said Omar Daair, spokesman for the British Embassy in Khartoum, the capital.

Ms. Gibbons, 54, has been in jail since Sunday, and Mr. Daair said her sentence would include time served, which means she will spend 10 more days behind bars before being sent to Britain.

more ... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/w...0c609b3479598e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

The sad thing is, know what the govt of Sudan is capable of, she DID get of light.

Yet some call Americans religiously intolerant.

 

[Alpha1]

These are the people some think we must negotiate with....to reason with, as if we were dealing with what we define as reasonable people. From a western understanding of reasonable....
Thats seems like a monumental task....as close to impossible as I can imagine...

 

[Larkinn]

The sad thing is, know what the govt of Sudan is capable of, she DID get of light.

Yet some call Americans religiously intolerant.

Well we are tolerant compared to Sudan. What a fucking achievement. Maybe next we can try and top the life expectancy of the Rwanda, or try to kill less of our civilians with tanks than Burma does. Who knows what next great feat of humanity the mighty USA can accomplish!

If we need to point to Sudan as comparison to defend our human rights record, we are obviously doing something terribly terribly wrong.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Well we are tolerant compared to Sudan. What a fucking achievement. Maybe next we can try and top the life expectancy of the Rwanda, or try to kill less of our civilians with tanks than Burma does. Who knows what next great feat of humanity the mighty USA can accomplish!

If we need to point to Sudan as comparison to defend our human rights record, we are obviously doing something terribly terribly wrong.

Why don't you just move to one of those better countries and post from there on your new greatly improved life?

 

[Shogun]

Well we are tolerant compared to Sudan. What a fucking achievement. Maybe next we can try and top the life expectancy of the Rwanda, or try to kill less of our civilians with tanks than Burma does. Who knows what next great feat of humanity the mighty USA can accomplish!

If we need to point to Sudan as comparison to defend our human rights record, we are obviously doing something terribly terribly wrong.

hehehe.. the sarcasm cracks me up.

CHEERS!

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Islam is a disease that needs to be eradicated from the earth.

 

[Shogun]

can we get rid of christianity too while we are at it or just the camel jockey religions?

 

[maineman]

Islam is not a tolerant religion. It is a demanding religion. It is not as if the lady didn't know that going in.

Even in western, cosmopolitan Beirut, I would never have named a pet or a stuffed animal Muhammed.

It would be as insensitive as parading around St. Peter's Square in Rome with a yappy poodle that you had named "BAYYYBEEEE JEEEESUS".

The fact that they have punishments in their justice system that are more draconian than ours is really only a matter of degree and not kind. Most of the folks clamouring about this case certainly support the death penalty in our own country.

 

[Zhukov]

Well I guess a couple weeks in the slammer isn't enough for some people.

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) – Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied today in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/FOREIGN/111300116/1001

I don't understand though. It's the kids who named the teddy bear after their prophet. Why don't they kill them?

Bunch of savages.

 

[Gunny]

Well we are tolerant compared to Sudan. What a fucking achievement. Maybe next we can try and top the life expectancy of the Rwanda, or try to kill less of our civilians with tanks than Burma does. Who knows what next great feat of humanity the mighty USA can accomplish!

If we need to point to Sudan as comparison to defend our human rights record, we are obviously doing something terribly terribly wrong.

I expected about as much from you. Heaven forbid you notice that it IS an achievement; rather, point out instead that we are not perfect.

 

[Gunny]

Wow. The loudmouth apologists for intolerance have really crawled out of the woodwork today.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Ah yes...the old christianity is just as bad argument. However, running around the vatican yelling baby jesus is disrespectful but the pope wouldn't call for your head to be lopped off. Let's face it, they've been stuck in the 700s for 1300 years now. There's no hope for them and no comparison to christianity.

 

[Diuretic]

It seems that the Sudanese government is protecting this woman from the "hot-heads" from "hardline mosques". Gosh could it really be that not every single Sudanese is calling for the death of Ms Gibbons And could it be that a British Muslim peer is flying from the UK to Sudan to try and help out

Damnit! Don't you hate it when your stereotypes get blown apart?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7117575,00.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2980962.ece

Just wait until they find out all teddy bears are named after Teddy Roosevelt!!

 

[roomy]

There is a groundswell of bad feeling building here toward the Sudanese, the British Muslims are even flabbergasted by the insanity of the situation so it must be bad.I think we should just go and get her then let the smelly bastards starve to death.

 

[trobinett]

Islam is not a tolerant religion. It is a demanding religion. It is not as if the lady didn't know that going in.

Even in western, cosmopolitan Beirut, I would never have named a pet or a stuffed animal Muhammed.

It would be as insensitive as parading around St. Peter's Square in Rome with a yappy poodle that you had named "BAYYYBEEEE JEEEESUS".

The fact that they have punishments in their justice system that are more draconian than ours is really only a matter of degree and not kind. Most of the folks clamouring about this case certainly support the death penalty in our own country.

I've tried to be understanding of you MM, but you are a sick, and fucked up individual.

To think, that a teacher deserves to be put in jail for suggesting, that a teddy bear be named ANYTHING, is discussing, and show's what depth you will sink, to promote your agenda.

Shame on you, and your master......

Oh, and don't PM me looking for understanding, it ain't happening.........

 

[Diuretic]

There is a groundswell of bad feeling building here toward the Sudanese, the British Muslims are even flabbergasted by the insanity of the situation so it must be bad.I think we should just go and get her then let the smelly bastards starve to death.

Blame Gordon - he was the bad tempered nutter that started all this

 

[LordBrownTrout]

And then there's this little jewel. This woman's oblivious act of free speech is termed an "innocent mistake". As in, as long as the West bends to their narrow way of thinking, no more "mistakes" will occur.

 

[Alucard]

Islam is not a tolerant religion. It is a demanding religion. It is not as if the lady didn't know that going in.

Even in western, cosmopolitan Beirut, I would never have named a pet or a stuffed animal Muhammed.

It would be as insensitive as parading around St. Peter's Square in Rome with a yappy poodle that you had named "BAYYYBEEEE JEEEESUS".

The fact that they have punishments in their justice system that are more draconian than ours is really only a matter of degree and not kind. Most of the folks clamouring about this case certainly support the death penalty in our own country.

Is it possible to bury you head in the sand any deeper?

 

[mattskramer]

The sad thing is, know what the govt of Sudan is capable of, she DID get of light.

Yet some call Americans religiously intolerant.

Does this law still exist in Massachusetts?

http://mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/272-36.htm

Chapter 272: Section 36:

Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

If so, then before we harshly criticize another nation’s theocratic laws, we should clean up our own.

 

[roomy]

Blame Gordon - he was the bad tempered nutter that started all this

Seriously though, if it was feasible I would close the African continent down altogether, just for a while to let them stew in their own juices.