Crisis, day one: Teddy bear named “Mohammed” in Sudan
posted at 10:29 am on November 26, 2007 by Allahpundit
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And for that, my friends, someone must burn.
A British schoolteacher has been arrested in Sudan accused of insulting Islam’s Prophet, after she allowed her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad…
The BBC’s correspondent Amber Henshaw said Ms Gibbons’ punishment could be up to six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine…
Fellow teachers at Khartoum’s Unity High School told Reuters news agency they feared for Ms Gibbons’ safety after receiving reports that men had started gathering outside the police station where she was being held…
Ms Gibbons, who joined the school in August, asked a seven-year-old girl to bring in her teddy bear and asked the class to pick names for it, he said…
Twenty out of the 23 children chose Muhammad as their favourite name…
It is seen as an insult to Islam to attempt to make an image of the Prophet Muhammad.
By the same logic, isn’t every photo of a boy named Mohammed a similar offense? Ah well. I’m mildly impressed by the fact that they arrested the teacher and not the kids who did the actual naming. That’s progress, of a sort.
As you might imagine, the school has been closed — for a month — and is under guard lest anything happen to it.
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mohammad is so fuzzy! who knew?
lorien1973 on November 26, 2007 at 10:32 AM
I must’ve missed the ‘thou shalt not make any plush images’ passage in the Koran.
James on November 26, 2007 at 10:32 AM
Allah Akhbear!
Shy Guy on November 26, 2007 at 10:34 AM
That’s what I was thinking.
amerpundit on November 26, 2007 at 10:34 AM
There used to be a time (say, during the building of the Suez canal), foreigners in muslim countries were given much more lee way than they are now.
I blame the media for fanning the flames of casual fanaticism.
Mindcrime on November 26, 2007 at 10:40 AM
Life must be awful having so many things to get offended about.
drewas on November 26, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Someone get Vermont Teddybear company to issue a Mohammed teddy bear line.
ackrite55 on November 26, 2007 at 10:43 AM
Heh! Snort!
I always wondered why so many kids were named Mohommed since it seems like idolatry to me. There aren’t many ‘Jesus’ named kids other than in hispanic cultures. If the religion wasn’t so strange I wouldn’t think the people would be so crazy. I think this is less the religion crazy and more the people of the religion crazy.
ThackerAgency on November 26, 2007 at 10:44 AM
Wait a second…what is a seven-year-old doing in a high school class? Do they have a different definition of High School over there than we do?
James on November 26, 2007 at 10:45 AM
I think in Islam, naming a child after the prophet indicates your desire for him to be inspired by his namesake; naming an animal after the prophet is insult because animals are lowly and unclean, thus you show your contempt for the prophet by bequeathing his name upon it.
Not that I agree with those sentiments, nor am I excusing them. They’re batshiat crazy ideals to live by. Just saying that’s probably why the muslims are so offended by the incident.
Mindcrime on November 26, 2007 at 10:47 AM
So I guess I should rename my pet pig huh?
conservnut on November 26, 2007 at 10:48 AM
I took the liberty earlier this morning of making a composite sketch of what The Teddy Bear Mohamed (pbuh) might look like.
flipflop on November 26, 2007 at 10:50 AM
The headline is an insult to islaim! It should say: “Twenty out of the 23 children chose _____ their favorite name.”
How DARE you say the name Muhammed?! … Ooops! Oh crap, now I’m dead!
20 outta 23, I don’t know if that’s good or bad. 20 outta 23 think it’s crazy to *not be able to* name their teddy bear Muhammed … OR … 20 outta 23 are so brainwashed by islam that they think they HAVE to name their teddy bear muhammed.
Tony737 on November 26, 2007 at 10:50 AM
Well, they don’t have to teach a whole lot to girls in muslim countries do they? Get your genitals mutilated, cover up, and if you get raped, game over you slut!
conservnut on November 26, 2007 at 10:52 AM
I’ll admit that I’m being a little extreme, but I have no sympathy for Ms. Gibbons. I’m reminded of my feeling of deserved punishment in the same way I felt when a fundamentalist Christian snake handling cult came to the country where I went to high school and someone got bit. She went into the Sudan hell hole on her own free will–probably with visions of her own moral excellence for helping the poor. It’s just a risk you take when you dwell with savages or handle snakes.
thuja on November 26, 2007 at 10:55 AM
“Look, I’d had a lovely class, and all I said was that this teddy bear was good enough to be named Mohammed.”
“You’re only making it worse!”
“Making it worse? How can it get any worse? Mohammed, Mohammed, Mohammed!”
James on November 26, 2007 at 10:56 AM
“…I should rename my pet pig…” – Conservnut
Bwahahaha! Excuse me, I have to go take a muhammed! A MAJOR muhammed, dammit, what did I eat, a sheep kebab? For real, when I was stationed in Englandistan, I ate one of those … once, ONLY once … the next day, I didn’t know my muhammed could smell so bad! Thank allah for the courtesy flush!
Tony737 on November 26, 2007 at 10:57 AM
I might agree more strongly with you if it hadn’t been the students that came up with the name.
flipflop on November 26, 2007 at 10:57 AM
“…all I said was that this teddy bear was good enough to be…” – James
Haha! Diggin’ that hole deeper? And I mean literally diggin’ a hole!
Tony737 on November 26, 2007 at 11:03 AM
Can Teddy Bears be named “Swimmer”?
fogw on November 26, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Quick, somebody cover it up!!
We can’t be showing bear legs!!!
landlines on November 26, 2007 at 11:14 AM
I’m actually shocked that this story surprised me. I should have known, but still… it’s a stupid bear.
Esthier on November 26, 2007 at 11:15 AM
I honestly don’t understand how people like this can actually run a country.
AlexB on November 26, 2007 at 11:15 AM
Add Teddy Bears to the list of bannned items in Sudan, lest anyone risks offending the Islamists again.
We’ve seen that movie before, and it always ends badly.
awake on November 26, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Hmmmm….. Let’s see here.
There’s that Darfur “thing” going on. The government has serious terrorist and humanitarian issues to deal with as well. Yet, for all that, they still have the time to be offended over a teddy bear named Muhhammad?
Somebody’s priorities are skewed, aren’t they?
highhopes on November 26, 2007 at 11:22 AM
honestly don’t understand how people like this can actually run a country into the ground so efficiently.
AlexB on November 26, 2007 at 11:15 AM
awake on November 26, 2007 at 11:23 AM
Sheesh, any excuse to go out and riot and burn and break things, oh and cut off someone’s head! I guess that’s their idea of a party. This planet is going to be one hellish messy place if these people take it over.
4shoes on November 26, 2007 at 11:26 AM
Where is Islamic Rage Boy?????
conservnut on November 26, 2007 at 11:29 AM
There is a horrible new trend in Liberal Christian circles to have a “Jesus Doll”. It looks like Raggedy Andy with a beard. I find it to be very offensive, especially when they send it home with a family that is having issues at home. I sat through a service where they announced how someone was fighting drug abuse and they were sending the Jesus Doll home with them. Who needs Scripture or prayer when you can simply bring home a doll?
The thought of whipping people didn’t come to mind, but it could be a start. The best thing is that the official “Jesus Doll” is made in China. Where else?
Hening on November 26, 2007 at 11:52 AM
Yes, the do. It’s a school for ages 4-18. It’s a British-style school with a localized English curriculum. Alas, there are no job openings at this time.
factoid on November 26, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Damn that was good. Crisis indeed lol
Can you imagine what this woman is thinking? I wonder if she’ll apologize or ask wtf is wrong with these people?
Dash on November 26, 2007 at 12:01 PM
I did not know that…thanks for clearing it up for me.
James on November 26, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Welcome back to the Middle Ages, you infidels!
Always Right on November 26, 2007 at 12:43 PM
It isnt about naming the bear! It’s about forgetting the explosive belt and AK-47.
dogsoldier on November 26, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Teddy bears expose the soles of their feet to anyone who looks at them…ulululululululu!
James on November 26, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Recruitment begins, girls need not apply
Women are deficient.
Islam is growing about 2.9% per year. This is faster than the total world population which increases about 2.3% annually. It is thus attracting a progressively larger percentage of the world’s population.
How they manage to breed is a mystery to me.
Kini on November 26, 2007 at 1:07 PM
LOL you guys!
Still, shouldn’t it be: Allahoo Akbear, or better yet, Anyhoo Akbear?
More seriously, how would Jesus react to having a fuzzy bear named after Him by a bunch of CHILDREN? Don’t claim to know. But I DO KNOW…He wouldn’t give 40 lashes for doing it!
inviolet on November 26, 2007 at 1:08 PM
Since Muslims say Mohammed was just a man, albeit a prophet, I don’t get why they won’t tolerate the slightest perceived insult towards him. Shouldn’t it be blasphemy to demand and enforce as much honor towards the name of a mere man as you do towards God?
NellE on November 26, 2007 at 1:41 PM
Yes. And I’ve never understood this, especially coming from Islam, which shows such absolute awe towards God. Christians HONOR saints in Heaven and honorable holy people, but WORSHIP and BLASPHEMY are both words applied to God alone.
inviolet on November 26, 2007 at 2:09 PM
Should have added: Jews do the same as Christians wrt people-honoring vs. God-worshiping.
inviolet on November 26, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Not many Hail Marys on your to-do list, I gather?
James on November 26, 2007 at 2:13 PM
And isn’t it a wild juxtaposition? Raping and pillaging amok on a genocidal level in Darfur, SUDAN and nothing to be done about it, whilst over in the capital of SUDAN there’s plenty o’ time to ‘investigate’ and apportion lollygagging lashes for blasphemous bears.
WHAT a country!
tree hugging sister on November 26, 2007 at 2:20 PM
I’m SO glad you asked! Here’s the Hail Mary:
“Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you”
That’s right out of Luke 1:28–an angel speaking to Mary. I trust you don’t think the angel was worshiping Mary?
“…Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.”
This is right from Luke Chapter 2. Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” was speaking to Mary. I trust the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let someone worship Mary?
“Holy Mary..”
Mary is a holy woman.
“mother of God”
she is simply mother of Jesus, who is God
“Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”
Asking Mary, who in Heaven is closer to God than any human on earth, and is aware of what’s going on on earth–see Hebrews 12’s “cloud of witnesses”–simply to pray for us to God.
See any worship in there? Nope, me neither.
Have a wonderful day.
inviolet on November 26, 2007 at 4:33 PM
correction: right from Luke Chapter 2 = Luke 1:41-43.
inviolet on November 26, 2007 at 4:35 PM
That’s because Jesus is the Spanish/Portugese version of Joshua.
jic on November 26, 2007 at 8:52 PM
A western kaffir woman in the hands of Mohammed’s dark monkeys in a Sudanese jail. What amenities do you suppose they have in store for her?
BL@KBIRD on November 26, 2007 at 9:00 PM
The teacher’s mistake was that she neglected to insert the obligatory stick of dynamite into the bear, which would have converted it into a jihad bear worthy of the name…
landlines on November 26, 2007 at 9:52 PM
That’s a matter of perspective…and I do see it.
James on November 27, 2007 at 6:13 AM
Hmm. Where? I’m truly curious. Two phrases addresses to Mary, word for word right from Spirit inspired Scripture, one calling of Mary holy, one stating a fact that she is the mother of Jesus Who is God, and a request for prayer.
Where is the worship there? I have to say I just don’t see it.
inviolet on November 27, 2007 at 6:57 AM
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