I named teddy after me, 7-year-old Muhammad says

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

KHARTOUM–A 7-year-old Sudanese student yesterday defended the British teacher accused of insulting Islam saying he had chosen to call a teddy bear Muhammad because it was his own name.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, was arrested Sunday after complaints from parents that she had insulted Islam's prophet and founder by allowing the bear to be named Muhammad.

"The teacher asked me what I wanted to call the teddy," the boy said shyly. "I said Muhammad. I named it after my name."

Muhammad is a common name among Muslim men, but giving the prophet's name to an animal or inanimate object would be seen as insulting by many Muslims.

Gibbons faces possible charges of insulting religion, a crime punishable by up to six months imprisonment or 40 lashes. She was questioned by Sudanese authorities yesterday.

However, the teacher at Unity High School in Khartoum will probably be cleared and released soon, a spokesperson for the Sudanese embassy in London said.

"I am pretty certain that this minute incident will be clarified very quickly and this teacher who has been helping us with the teaching of children will be safe and will be cleared," Khalid al-Mubarak told BBC radio.

"Our relationship with Britain is so good that we wouldn't like such a minute event to be overblown.''

Sudan's Foreign Ministry yesterday played down the significance of the case, calling it "isolated."

Gibbons's student said he wasn't thinking of Islam's prophet when asked to suggest a name and most of the class agreed with his choice.

The school's director said the facility would be closed until January due to fears of reprisals.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/280553

[Nagishkaw 510]

"Our relationship with Britain is so good that we wouldn't like such a minute event to be overblown.''

But yet it is on VJ .

[Otto 83]

[Fandango 1,439]

"Our relationship with Britain is so good that we wouldn't like such a minute event to be overblown.''

But yet it is on VJ .

Being placed in jail for a kid naming a teddy is hardly minute......

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I Just named my goldfish Muhammad.

[mawilson 2,133]

LuckyStrike,

Maybe we should start a new business -- do you think Mohammed teddies would sell?

"Support Free Speech - Buy Teddy!"

[AUBGER 0]

hehehehe

[Drew and Tik 0]

Outrageous! Give her the 40 lashes for this heinous crime!!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Outrageous! Give her the 40 lashes for this heinous crime!!

She's closer. She was just charged and is going to court today.

edit: unfortunately she'll probably be raped in prison and charged for that too

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/1...ears/index.html

Edited November 29, 2007 by LuckyStrike

[Ban Hammer 13,366]

Outrageous! Give her the 40 lashes for this heinous crime!!

She's closer. She was just charged and is going to court today.

edit: unfortunately she'll probably be raped in prison and charged for that too

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/1...ears/index.html

and NOW won't say a thing about that either i bet.