Crisis, day two: Teddy bear blasphemer fired, grilled for five hours, facing sedition charge
posted at 10:50 am on November 27, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Gordon Brown claims she hasn’t been charged with anything yet but there are rumors of a blasphemy charge and a sedition charge on the way if witnesses “bring new elements to light.” Which, I guess, explains why they’re grilling her for five hours about a teddy bear.
When the mother-of-two was arrested on Sunday an angry mob, chanting death threats, gathered outside her lodgings at Unity High School as she was led away by police…
She is now facing charges under sharia law for “insulting ideology and religion”…
[I]n an arabic statement sent to More4 News last night, Unity High School announced that Mrs Gibbons’ employment with the school was being terminated with immediate effect.
“The administration of Unity High School would like to proffer an official apology to all students and their families and to all Muslims for what was an individual action, which does not represent the sentiments of the administration or the school,” it read.
I.e. “Please don’t burn down our building.” Follow that last link and note the chorus of sympathizers insisting that it was an innocent mistake and that she meant nothing by it, which of course isn’t the issue at all. It reminds me of the Saudis playing up the gang-rape victim’s alleged adultery even while acknowledging that her sentence was overly harsh. In both cases the basic legitimacy of Islamic law, of lashing someone for adultery or for insulting Mohammed by naming a teddy bear after him, is assumed; the question is simply whether an insult was intended or whether the punishment is a tad too severe.
I leave you with this golden passage from the annals of cultural sensitivity:
Dr Khalid al Mubarak, a spokesman for the Sudan embassy in London, said that although he had not yet been able to speak to the investigating officer, procedure meant Ms Gibbons would have to be questioned and reports of the situation had been overblown…
Dr Mubarak said: “The way the British think of the teddy bear - as far as Christmas is concerned, and toys are concerned - we don’t have any teddy bears over here, so in Sudan, for us, it is a fierce and dangerous animal.
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Lord of The Flies
pat on November 27, 2007 at 10:53 AM
“Unity High School” Classic
sweeper on November 27, 2007 at 10:54 AM
I’m trying not to laugh at this but is he being serious?
I’m not sure, but I don’t remember seeing a National Geographic special on the “fierde and dangerous” Teddy Bear.
Back to reality again, why is it that the teacher is being punished when it was the kids that came up with the naming of the Teddy Bear? Scapegoat or just the fact that she should’ve stepped up and told them WHY we don’t name things Mohamed?
HarryStar on November 27, 2007 at 10:57 AM
LOL
I don’t think it’s pure BS either. That’s how they think westerners perceive Big Mo in general. So to fight this misunderestimation they conduct 5 hour investigations to show due process, and, of course, threaten the poor 54 year old school teacher with violence.
AlexB on November 27, 2007 at 10:59 AM
The CAIR Bears will rescue her.
Shy Guy on November 27, 2007 at 10:59 AM
So, basically, if we ever need to fight in Sudan in the future, we just have to do an air drop of teddy bears.
amerpundit on November 27, 2007 at 11:01 AM
This is only the previews of the beginning. Hold on tight.
Ernest on November 27, 2007 at 11:05 AM
I remember I was on a hike in the Sudan, and I was attacked by a feral teddy bear. It kept beating me with its soft claws and biting me with its plush mouth, and I just kept screaming. Until I had enough, and knocked the stuffing out of it.
Nethicus on November 27, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Ah, this explains why the Sudanese are so upset. It all makes sense now.
AlexB on November 27, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Little by little it changes. The Brits better get ready for sharia law, along with the french & germans. Oh, I forgot, the Aussies too.
countywolf on November 27, 2007 at 11:18 AM
I know I’m stating the obvious here… But, what is it about this blatantly dangerous form of “religion” where people allow this to go on?
I still don’t understand why “moderate” muslims don’t speak out against this kind of stuff?
It really does depress me.
Nineball on November 27, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Allah help him if he ever runs afoul of their picnic.
Frozen Tex on November 27, 2007 at 11:28 AM
To celebrate another example of the tolerance of the religion of perpetual outrage (to quote michelle), I’ve just named my dogs new stuffed bear Mohammed. He is literally ripping Mohammed a new one as I type.
Hammerhead on November 27, 2007 at 11:31 AM
The more incidents like this come to light, the more I wonder why we (the civilized world) treat with countries like this at all.
Isolate them and let them have the medieval society they seem to so desperately crave.
flipflop on November 27, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Nineball on November 27, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Maybe it is because there are no “moderate” muslims.
The silence is deafening.
GREENTURTLE on November 27, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Maybe this is what he is thinking of. (I guess the spy squirrels weren’t reliable enough…)
lan astaslem on November 27, 2007 at 11:54 AM
A “moderate” muslim? Some are lapsed and nearly secular muslims, and some are of moderate sects that are considered heretical.
If you publicly admit to being a member of one of the few moderate sects, you will NOT be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia for your Hadj.
Kristopher on November 27, 2007 at 11:59 AM
I’m too busy “celebrating diversity” to answer that question.
saint kansas on November 27, 2007 at 12:04 PM
Ah. Sharia law & the religion of perpetual outrage - firmly entrenched on the African continent; currently in wide spread release all over Europe, and coming soon to a North American city near you.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
locomotivebreath1901 on November 27, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Hmm, you mention a ‘fierce and dangerous teddy bear’ right after posting a pic of Teddy the Whale?
Coincidence? I think not…
Mr. Bingley on November 27, 2007 at 12:25 PM
This post is too harsh.
This post is too soft.
But this post is juuuuuust right!
James on November 27, 2007 at 12:33 PM
I just sent off another email to my good friends at islamispeace.org.uk:
“Please reassure me by publicly denouncing this action and expressing support for this fellow British citizen.”
I’ll post their reply here as soon as I receive it, although, to be honest, they haven’t been very good about responding to my emails.
saint kansas on November 27, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Yea, just like Islam.
BacaDog on November 27, 2007 at 12:48 PM
What would Elvis say?
A vicious rabbit with nasty pointy teeth!
Whats is a Brit doing in the Sudan teaching anyway?
Don’t they have Jihadist to do that anyway?
What about the ritual beatings and such?
Kini on November 27, 2007 at 12:58 PM
All this is more than I can bear.
……………………..
Just trying to lighten the mood.
Hawkins1701 on November 27, 2007 at 1:12 PM
Are there any bears in Sudan??? Or any parts of the African desert? uh….no, dont think so. i could be wrong and if so please bear with me. i couldnt bear to be wrong about this.
thus, to a sudanese a bear is a fierce animal they’ve never seen coz they dont live in the damn desert, and that means they prosecute and lash women who name teddys after Mohammed. ooooo-k.
Mike D. on November 27, 2007 at 1:18 PM
Perhaps we’re all confused, and she named her lingerie Mohammed?
Frozen Tex on November 27, 2007 at 1:22 PM
Has either the bear, or the teacher, been gang-raped yet?
OhEssYouCowboys on November 27, 2007 at 1:25 PM
The last paragraph from the Daily Mail article is my favorite.
Apparently even this incident can be blamed on Bush. Who knew?
CorinthianJest on November 27, 2007 at 1:25 PM
Let me clarify what a moderate muslim is. If you engage in religious conversation with people, you’ll meet self-described fundamentalist Christians who are unable to name the four gospels. Moderate muslims are like these fundamentalist Christians. A moderate muslim simply doesn’t care what the Koran has to say.
In free societies, I suspect that there more moderate muslims by percentage than Biblically ignorant fundamentalist Christians, since the Bible is such a vastly better book.
thuja on November 27, 2007 at 1:34 PM
I guess cowards don’t like being called fierce after all. I’m sure these cowardly creatures will come up with an equally cowardly response. They just don’t get along with humans very well.
I’d love to lead a squad into that jail to snatch that poor woman. Of course we’d all be dressed like teddy bears, well-armed teddy bears.
reaganaut on November 27, 2007 at 1:56 PM
These people are savages at best, and barbarians at worst. They clearly live in a primitive mental world, one in which I have no desire to be a part of.
I guess ignorance is bliss to some.
saiga on November 27, 2007 at 2:06 PM
My extensive research suggests that a “moderate Muslim” is the only person who either can not or will not tell you what he or she believes. Much like the opinions of “the Arab street” comprise those of white, Western, anti-war journalists, anyone who says “moderate Muslims belive…” is likely a secular atheist or Christian apologist.
They should have worked into the story that “Teddy Bears” are named for Theodore Roosevelt, who, like Bush, was a warmongering American Republican president.
saint kansas on November 27, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Oh, but you will…you will.
James on November 27, 2007 at 2:13 PM
Alright, I didn’t want to have to do this, but I’ve been given no choice.
CareBearStare
http://www.xkcd.com/146/
gekkobear on November 27, 2007 at 2:16 PM
What a crappy country with a bunch of crappy immigrants who believe in a crappy religion.
Tim Burton on November 27, 2007 at 2:31 PM
Sudan is a country that still practices slavery.
Sudan is the genesis of Darfur.
Sudan harbored bin Laden for years until its desire to get off of our terrorist-supporting country list, led its dictator at the time to offer bin Laden on a silver platter to Clinton. But Clinton demurred, setting up the embassy attacks, the USS Cole, and 9/11.
I’d say “bomb them back into the Stone Age,” but they have never left it.
georgej on November 27, 2007 at 2:40 PM
Here’s another fierce and dangerous animal. also known as the hilarious “Baby Panda, Muhammed, Sneezes & Startles Mama” video.
NightmareOnKStreet on November 27, 2007 at 6:41 PM