Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
November 30, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Hundreds of Sudanese Muslims, waving green Islamic flags, took to the streets of Khartoum on Friday demanding death for the British teacher convicted of insulting Islam after her class named a teddy bear Mohammad.
“No one lives who insults the Prophet,” the protesters chanted, a day after school teacher Gillian Gibbons, 54, was sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation from Sudan.
At least 1,000 protesters shook their fists or waved banners or ceremonial swords and chanted religious and nationalist slogans after leaving Muslim Friday prayers. Banners called for “punishment” for Gibbons, and some protesters burned newspapers that contained pictures of the teacher.
Several hundred protesters made a brief stop at the closed but heavily guarded Unity High School, where Gibbons worked, but did not attempt to go inside. The school was guarded by five truckloads of police in riot gear.
The protesters marched from there to the British embassy where several hundred surrounded the ambassador’s residence, chanting religious slogans. There were no reports of violence.
Gibbons was charged on Wednesday with insulting Islam, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs because the class toy had been given the same name as the Muslim Prophet Mohammad.
Under Sudan’s penal code, she could have faced 40 lashes, a fine or up to a year in jail. But Gibbons was convicted only of insulting religion. Teachers at her school say that calling the teddy bear Mohammad was not Gibbons’s idea and that no parents objected when she sent circulars about a reading project that included the bear, introduced in September, as a fictional participant.
GIBBONS ‘WELL’
A spokesman for the British embassy in Khartoum said that the British consul and deputy ambassador had seen Gibbons on Friday and that she was well, but gave no clue as to where she was being held.
“We are not commenting on her location,” spokesman Omar Daair said.
Lawyers had initially said they expected Gibbons to have been taken to Omdurman women’s prison, a jail which is overcrowded and usually filled with women serving sentences for making and selling alcohol, illegal in mainly Muslim Sudan. But lawyers could not say on Friday where she was being held.
One defence lawyer said on Thursday that Gibbons had already served five days of her sentence since her arrest on Sunday and that she may not have to serve all the remaining days. The judge said she could leave once she had a compulsory exit visa, defence lawyers said.
Sudan has had poor relations with Britain, the United States and most European countries for several years, mainly due to disagreements over how to handle the conflict in Darfur in western Sudan.
Britain’s foreign minister has said he was “extremely disappointed” with the verdict and called in the Sudanese ambassador for an immediate explanation.
The United Nations Security Council, of which Britain is a permanent member, wants to deploy a joint U.N.-African force to Darfur to help end the conflict and help displaced people return home. Khartoum reluctantly agreed but is disputing many details.
International experts estimate that some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been driven from their homes in ethnic and political conflict in Darfur since a revolt by mostly non-Arab rebels in 2003.
(Reuters)
bol II
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
The the name given to the tedy bear is the known name to the student who name his own bear.there teacher isn’t guilty since she didn’t order the student to call then bear Mohamed.
why should Muslim disturb the globe for that terr’ religion of theirs?
Mohamed and Osama are doing the same bussiness.
the lady is 100% not guilty
Kur
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
This is an ugly face of religious fanatics who do not even know what they believe. Are they defending God or Muhammad? God does not need to be defended violently through lies and mistreating of innocent people such as Ms Gibbons.Will they ever come to their human common sense? God help us!
CanadaMAN
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
In the eyes of the civilized world this just looks so frikking stupid. Don’t you idiots think you have enough problems in your country? This is such an asshole decision and you should all be ashamed to be so idiotic. To have worshipers to come out of a mosque with knives and machetes and demand that she be killed is certainly idiotic. This is just another example of how Africa will always be a 4th world compared to the rest of us.
Stupid people, wake up! Feed your children.
You come to our countries and we treat you like us. Then you run around like prehistoric neanderthals killing and wanting to kill.
What a useless country you are.
Ngong The King
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
The lady is an Arabs’ ally and she deserved what she got. Those who are serving Khartoum are their associates and as a south Sudanese, I care less about them. There are many people in the western countries like Gibbons who don’t comprehend how evil are the Arabs in Khartoum. After all, those who don’t understand the attitude of Muslims have to learn the hard way. To those of us in the south of the country, those who rally round the Arabs in Khartoum are equally evil as those Arabs in Khartoum.
kalydosos
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
It is indeed very funny that our Muslim brothers are very much concerned with trivial issues and petty crimes committed. It is very clear that Ms Gibbins has commited this mistake with no intentions. I wonder what the angry crowd who protested at the British Embassy in Khartoum with police support have done with regards to the atrocities in Darfur, the arrest of three journalists in Sudan, the Rift Valley fever that is claiming hundreds of lives, the wasted billions from the agrarian project budget and the government’s feet dragging tendency with regards to the CPA. Would it not be fair if we consider the Sudanese public a “hullicinated and disillusioned public”. It seems to me that our Northern brothers are drunk to no return to sobernity by the regime’s propoganda. If the crowd has no buisness but to spil innocent blood then they should go to hell.
Peter Reat Gatkuoth
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
It’s not new in the history of Sudan that any thing related to mohamad name could endanger any one who went across Sudan. Before you reach inside the country, you need to think about Sudanese politics and their view of the Sudanese God name mohamad. Leave a lone naming a little teddy bear by little children, but carrying any thing written mohamad could brought you into contact with their local laws.
Sudanese government is always against any foreign nation who does not support violent that is currently in Sudan. If this women is chinese, she may not even face the justice or jail because China is the back born of Sudan, aiding them with all landmines and other light weapons used against Darfur and other regions in Sudan. The issue of landmines had been question a year ago, but Sudanese claims that they need more budget for landmines clearance. They got 48.6 million from the donors and they are considered as the second highest landmines survivor next to Afghanistan who reached 66.8 million, yet they use these money for nothing or instead of clearing the landmine field they just open paramilitary camps with all those budget. Isn’t that surprise that the world is working to end the landmines issue across the world and donate all those money to be used to destroy the stockpiles, and yet the Sudanese government is using them to destroy the civilian lives in Darfur and South Sudan.
Back to the topic, I was wondering why they considered children acts as an evidentful of insulting their God. Across the world, believers never protect their God by force. However, in the muslim world, Mohamad name is an issue that can easily put you in death within matter of minutes because the more they heard that some one touch the name of mohamad, the more they come up with their pagas, knives and other sharp things to cut you into pieces.
God is considered God becuase is the one taking care of those who sin and those who does wrong/right. In christian world, its always normal to name anything Jesus as long as you are happy with it. Why didn’t the Sudanese people name their teddy bear Jesus as a respond or do what ever they want instead of puting this British born teacher into danger. It seem to me that Sudanese or Islamic believers are the one above the mohamad and mohamad act in the position of believers. Therefore, it should be good that people who are traveling around the world should be careful not to touch or mention anything related to the muslim God.
porky pig
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
Killing anyone who has the balls to question islam is the only way islamics can hope to keep this LIE of a religion alive. Mohammed was a pig farmer. There now I insulted your religion. What are you going to do about it cowards? I work at the Wastewater treatment plant in Spokane, Washington state USA. Just drop on by and ask for “DARREN” I will be happy to send your sorry ass off to see your pigfarming prophet.
Or would you cowards rather kill an innocent teacher who was trying to help your children become decent citizens because they certainly can’t learn it from you ass backward retarded pigmys.
Can’t wait to hear from you……..
p.s. I don’t really expect to hear from a bunch of woman killing COWARDS.
sudanson
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
To the poster name European and rick and likes, stop trying to create hatred int he name of Europe and America against Africa, please stop claiming to be civilized when your actions and reactions here on this news websites show how uncivilized and childish you guys sound, go seek some knowledge about sudan please before jumping in with discussions that do not make sense, if you are here to defend the arrested british then please present youself in a well behaved manner and try and show that you are fromt he civilized world you claim, you are both acting barbaric and uncivilized. Not all Sudanese are involved in this saga just as not all British where involved in slave trade and colonialism of other peoples territories, And please think again if you think Sudan relays on Europe for help you are dead wrong, Sudan is now getting more independent and has massive reserves of oil and gas, it also has abundoned resources to support itself, tell me how much money britain gives the Sudan government, and prove it with fact data please, is it about $100 million given to the NGOs? is that alot of money to you compared to the whole money Sudan has? all the money your government gives go to the NGOs whos workers are all from your country and so the money goes back to their pockets and no developments on the ground, so please watch your mouth cos Sudan can do better without Britian, its 21st centuary world and new super powers are coming out from other world regions now. Mrs Gillian is innocent and i wanna see her free soon, but please do not turn this issues into a race like Africa vs Europe as some British are trying to do, cos it wouldn’t help both sides, if you don’t respect others and if you overeact and start insults against others, then what is the difference between you and those who arrested Gillian? no one forces anyone to come to africa from other parts of the world, if they wanna work for NGOs and do business or earn money, but they choose to do soon out of their own good will and they can stop to do so when they wish, please try to keep it between Sudan and Britian only and keep the discussion subject to the event. by Sudanese Christian
YihHon Alewei
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
What are you protesting for!
You the protesters, you have let down your religion, your prophet and the whole country “Sudan”! If islam is real or prophet mohamed is a true savior! Why you demand the death of an innocent person who doesn’t know the hell about islam!
Nobody can defend God if you’re true believers, it is all crap! You chaotic people will remain in that mess of islam, a religion of death and curse!
Stuffing up politics with a religion is a big shame to Sudanese government! The involement of government in that matter shows that you Sudanese are completely far from civilization!
Why don’t you see any christian making noise if Jesus is insulted or abused by anyone! God knows who have insulted him and he will make his revenge in a different way!
Shame on you!
Justin Rotto Zeini Yambio W E S.
Sudanese protesters demand death for teddy teacher
I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MUSLIMS ARE JUST LIKE SMALL KIDS AND WHY MUSILMS BEHAVE SO UNCIVILISEDHOW CAN MATURE AND CIVILISED PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR DAILLY DUTIES THEN GO ON TO THE STREETS AND START PROTESTING?SHAME ON YOU AND IT IS GOING TO EXPOSE HOW UNCIVILISED YOU NORTHERNERS ARE.