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Thin White Duke
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Registered: 10/20/04
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British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred
#7691516 - 11/28/07 05:07 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Teacher charged over teddy row
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A British teacher has been charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.
The Foreign Office has confirmed that charges have been laid against Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool.
She was arrested in Khartoum after allowing her class of primary school pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said he will summon the Sudanese ambassador "as a matter of urgency".
In a statement, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "surprised and disappointed" at the charges.
A spokesman said the first step was to "understand the rationale behind the charge", something which would be discussed by Mr Miliband and the ambassador as soon as possible.
'Shameful ordeal'
"We will consider our response in the light of that," he added.
Lawyers say Mrs Gibbons faces six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine if convicted.
Sudanese state media said prosecutors had completed their investigation and decided to charge Mrs Gibbons under Article 125 of the Sudanese criminal code.
The BBC's Amber Henshaw, in Khartoum, said Mrs Gibbons was expected to appear in court on Thursday.
The Muslim Council of Britain reacted angrily to the news, saying it was "appalled" and demanded Mrs Gibbons' immediate release.
"This is a disgraceful decision and defies common sense. There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith," said Secretary-General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, in a strongly-worded statement.
"We call upon the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, to intervene in this case without delay to ensure that Ms Gibbons is freed from this quite shameful ordeal," said Dr Bari.
Possible acquittal
Mrs Gibbons taught at the fee-paying Unity High School in Khartoum and the school's director, Robert Boulos, said earlier: "This is a very sensitive issue. We are very worried about her safety.
But I think the lady, she hasn't got any intention to insult the Islamic religion, therefore I am sure, very sure that if she went to the court she might be acquitted Ghazi Suleiman, Sudanese MP
Earlier, the Sudanese Embassy in London said the situation was a "storm in a teacup" and signalled that the teacher could be released soon, attributing the incident to a cultural misunderstanding.
But Sudan's top clerics have called for the full measure of the law to be used against Mrs Gibbons and labelled her actions part of a Western plot against Islam.
"What has happened was not haphazard or carried out of ignorance, but rather a calculated action and another ring in the circles of plotting against Islam," the Sudanese Assembly of the Ulemas said in a statement.
The semi-official clerics body is considered relatively moderate and is believed to have the ear of the Sudanese government.
A Sudanese human rights lawyer and Member of Parliament countered that Mrs Gibbons may be acquitted or simply fined under the discretion of the magistrate.
"It is not imperative to lash her, it is not imperative to send her to prison," said Ghazi Suleiman. "But I think the lady, she hasn't got any intention to insult the Islamic religion, therefore I am sure, very sure that if she went to the court she might be acquitted."
Mrs Gibbons was arrested on Sunday after several parents made complaints to Sudan's Ministry of Education.
The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the situation could potentially become a very serious diplomatic incident.
Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials Abroad, told BBC News 24 that getting fair legal representation for Mrs Gibbons is a priority: "We are shocked and dismayed as I think many people are."
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: Thin White Duke]
#7691553 - 11/28/07 05:13 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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"What has happened was not haphazard or carried out of ignorance, but rather a calculated action and another ring in the circles of plotting against Islam," the Sudanese Assembly of the Ulemas said in a statement.
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7695989 - 11/29/07 05:57 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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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.
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sounds like the later part of the sentence was a good deal... think sudan will pay to fly her home?
background on the heinous offense: --- The case started in September when Ms. Gibbons, who taught at one of Sudan’s most exclusive private schools, began a project on animals and asked her class to suggest a name for a teddy bear. The class voted resoundingly for Muhammad, one of the most common names in the Muslim world and the name of Islam’s holy prophet.
As part of the exercise, Ms. Gibbons told her students to take the bear home, photograph it and write a diary entry about it. The entries were collected in a book called “My Name Is Muhammad.” Most of her students were Muslim children from wealthy Sudanese families. ---
I'm sure more folks will chomp at the bit to teach in Sudan now. But with their astounding educational system ( a full 60% can read and write) I doubt they'll feel the blow Source for dumb Sudanese: http://www.indexmundi.com/sudan/literacy.html Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7696080 - 11/29/07 06:10 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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And here is the scene at the courthouse, where the Sudanese show they're masters of keeping order
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Wearing a blue blazer, blouse and skirt, she appeared dejected and stared straight ahead as four policemen escorted her into the courtroom on the first floor, pushing through a throng of journalists, lawyers and supporters from the school.
Another group of policemen barricaded the door, shouting and waving angrily for people to move away. The prosecution team was already inside, but Gibbons' defence team was locked out.
British embassy representatives, including consul Russell Phillips, were also prevented from entering. A line of 15 police officers then formed a human chain, shoving the onlookers away. After a half-hour standoff, Kamal al-Jazouli, Gibbons' lawyer, pushed through the crowd and began shouting at the police. He was let in, but his assistants and embassy staff had to wait a further hour - during which time they witnessed two offenders being flogged with a rubber hose in the court corridor - before being admitted to hear the prosecution arguments.
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Sudan = Shithole (not for this alone, but it doesn't help)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,,2219607,00.html#article_continue
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7698210 - 11/30/07 10:01 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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It gets better. Its hard to have a rational view of these people as a whole when it seems like there's plenty of ignoramuses in the news all the time... I wonder how life is for sane people in the Arab world?
So does no one care about this, or is it just the same old from this country and this part of the world? http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/11/30/sudan.bears/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail ---
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- Hundreds of protesters brandishing ceremonial swords and sticks gathered outside Khartoum's presidential palace Friday to vent their anger against a British teacher jailed for allowing children to name a teddy bear "Mohammed." art.gillian.gibbons.jpg
An undated amateur photo of Gillian Gibbons, who has been found guilty of insulting religion.
At least 600 Islamic demonstrators spilled out of mosques after prayers, chanting: "By soul, by blood, I will fight for the Prophet Mohammed."
Some of the protesters demanded the teacher's execution, according to The Associated Press. The agency reports that some chanted: "No tolerance: Execution" and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad."
The number of demonstrators was estimated by witnesses to be closer to 1,000 people. Western journalists who attempted to talk to the protesters were ushered away by men in plain clothes. Video Watch men brandish knives, shout »
The decision by a Sudanese court to jail Gillian Gibbons late Thursday was widely criticized outside Sudan as too harsh, with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband saying he was "extremely disappointed" the charges were not dismissed.
Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karouri, a prominent cleric and hardliner, told worshippers at the Martyrs Mosque before the demonstration: "Imprisoning this lady does not satisfy the thirst of Muslims in Sudan. But we welcome imprisonment and expulsion," according to AP. But he did not urge worshippers to protest.
In leaflets distributed earlier this week by Muslim groups and seen by CNN, the protesters promised a "popular release of anger" at demonstrations called for Friday.
The leaflets condemned Gibbons as an "infidel" and accused her of "the pollution of children's mentality" by her actions. Don't Miss
* Teacher charged in teddy bear case * Bid to stop whipping * TIME.com: The blasphemous teddy bear * Web site: Unity High School
The teacher was convicted of insulting religion but cleared of two other charges of inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, Ali Ajeb, her lawyer said.
Ajeb said they were planning to appeal the sentence, which runs from the date she was first detained, November 25.
Gibbons, 54, is being held in a woman's prison in the Omdurman district of Khartoum and she will be deported at the end of her prison term, British consular officials in the city told CNN.
Embassy staff said they were giving the teacher, from the northern English city of Liverpool, full consular assistance. Video Watch a report on reactions to the verdict »
Omer Mohammed Ahmed Siddig, the Sudanese ambassador to Britain, was summoned for a second time to meet with the British foreign secretary late Thursday after the court's ruling.
Miliband also spoke to the Sudanese acting foreign minister for 15 minutes on the telephone during the meeting, the British Foreign Office said.
"Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons' welfare and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her," Miliband said in a statement.
The Foreign Office said there would be further talks with the Sudanese government Friday.
Gibbons was arrested Sunday after she asked her class of seven-year-olds in Khartoum to name the toy as part of a school project, the Foreign Office said.
She had faced charges under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred.
She could have faced a sentence of 40 lashes, a fine or jail term of up to a year, according to the Foreign Office, which expressed Britain's dissatisfaction with the verdict.
British newspapers condemned Gibbons' conviction, with The Daily Telegraph calling for the recall of the British ambassador from Khartoum and sanctions against the heads of the Sudanese government.
In an editorial the tabloid newspaper, The Sun, said Gibbons' jailing was a "grotesque insult to Islam" and called Gibbons "an innocent abroad."
Four vans filled with riot police were stationed outside the courthouse at Thursday's hearing, but there were no signs of street disturbances or protests.
Staff from Gibbons' school, including Robert Boulos, the head of Unity High School, were present.
Boulos said he was "horrified" when he found out it was a member of his own staff who complained, not a parent as originally thought.
Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint came from Sarah Khawad, a secretary at the school. advertisement
Gibbons has been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool this summer, Boulos said.
He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats
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BrAiN
Art Fag

Registered: 03/01/01
Posts: 6,875
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7698242 - 11/30/07 10:11 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Last I heard she was sentanced to 15 days in jail and deportation.. neither seem that bad of a punishment if you ask me. I'm not a fan of laws in Muslim countries, but if you're in a Muslim country.. use some damn common sense.
She's lucky she didn't get lashed.
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: BrAiN]
#7698254 - 11/30/07 10:14 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
BrAiN said: Last I heard she was sentanced to 15 days in jail and deportation.. neither seem that bad of a punishment if you ask me. I'm not a fan of laws in Muslim countries, but if you're in a Muslim country.. use some damn common sense.
She's lucky she didn't get lashed.
I get what your saying, but 15 days sucks. Better than the alternative punishments, though.
But good god, naming the bear muhamed? So you can name your son that, but not your imaginary pet?
How many arab Muhamed's are there, who would figure this is an insult? Though I agree you should watch your step, or better yet, stay the fuck out of Sudan.
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BrAiN
Art Fag

Registered: 03/01/01
Posts: 6,875
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7698259 - 11/30/07 10:17 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
johnm214 said:
But good god, naming the bear muhamed? So you can name your son that, but not your imaginary pet?
LOL!!!! GOOD POINT.
As far as human rights go I think it sucks what happened to her, but after two years ago ith the Danish cartoons I think foreigners in Islamic countries would use more commmon sense.
It just shows what kind of unforgiving ingrates a lot of Muslims are. It's not like she did it intentionally (like the Danish cartoons) to insult a group of people. She made an honest mistake and the fact that so many people want to put you to death because you made a mistake because you didn't know enough about a religion.. I think the people that are chanting DEATH to this lady are the ones that need to be KILLED, not her.
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7698615 - 11/30/07 11:57 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Apparently the Sudanese think she's pretty calculating...
It's all a conspiracy!!!
Quote:
johnm214 said: "What has happened was not haphazard or carried out of ignorance, but rather a calculated action and another ring in the circles of plotting against Islam," the Sudanese Assembly of the Ulemas said in a statement.
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Thin White Duke
Stranger


Registered: 10/20/04
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7699219 - 11/30/07 02:05 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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It's pathetic.
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Mushouse
Mycomancer

Registered: 06/26/06
Posts: 500
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: johnm214]
#7699286 - 11/30/07 02:23 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
The entries were collected in a book called “My Name Is Muhammad.”
This makes me laugh. Think of parents discovering the project "My Name Is Muhammad" and becoming horrified.
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: Mushouse]
#7699293 - 11/30/07 02:25 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mushouse said:
Quote:
The entries were collected in a book called “My Name Is Muhammad.”
This makes me laugh. Think of parents discovering the project "My Name Is Muhammad" and becoming horrified.
It is clearly a concerted effort to attack Muhamed, or teddy bears, I forget.
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Luddite
I watch Fox News


Registered: 03/23/06
Posts: 2,946
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: Thin White Duke]
#7699984 - 11/30/07 05:15 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Whereever there are bombs dropping on muslims, there are blessings from Jesus.
Edited by Luddite (11/30/07 05:16 PM)
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SlashOZ
:D



Registered: 10/20/06
Posts: 3,557
Loc: Following the water cycle
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: Thin White Duke]
#7700350 - 11/30/07 06:43 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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head warning, this is what happens when an ultra conservative religious element takes over the government, the laws, and society.
-------------------- "Life sucks but in this really beautiful way" - Axl Rose "Life's a bitch and then you die that's why we get high cuz you never know when you're gonna go." - NAS "When people don't know what you're about they put you down and shut you out" - Black Sabbath "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" - Gandhi "Look up at me I am God, look down on me and I am evil, look at me I am you." - Charles Manson. "Don't question my reality." - Me (as far as I know)
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wilshire
free radical


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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: Thin White Duke]
#7700374 - 11/30/07 06:51 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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the western world should just completely separate itself from the islamic world. no trade, no aid, no migration. just let them go their way and we can go ours. they can live in squalor and ignorance and won't be able to blame their failings or place their anger on the west.
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Silversoul
Rhizome


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Posts: 23,576
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: wilshire]
#7700401 - 11/30/07 06:58 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Is the libertarian actually opposing free trade?
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BrAiN
Art Fag

Registered: 03/01/01
Posts: 6,875
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Re: British teacher charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred [Re: wilshire]
#7700695 - 11/30/07 08:22 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
wilshire said: the western world should just completely separate itself from the islamic world. no trade, no aid, no migration. just let them go their way and we can go ours. they can live in squalor and ignorance and won't be able to blame their failings or place their anger on the west.
works for me
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