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I named teddy after me, 7-year-old Muhammad says
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| Contributor | Homegrown Democrat |
| Last Edited | Homegrown Democrat Nov 28, 2007 10:11am |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:30:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | 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. |
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