Young Sudanese student: Teddy bear was named after me, not that Mohammed

Posted by: Sister Toldjah on November 27, 2007 at 9:00 pm

Earlier this morning, I wrote about the British teacher in Sudan who is facing a possible punishment of 40 lashes for allowing her young students to name a teddy bear “Mohammed.”

In an update to that story, Reuters is reporting the comments of a seven year old student in the teacher’s class who claims that the teddy bear was named after him, not that other Mohammed guy:

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – A 7-year-old Sudanese student on Tuesday defended the British teacher accused of insulting Islam saying he had chosen to call a teddy bear Mohammad because it was his own name.

Gillian Gibbons, a 54-year-old teacher at the Unity High School in Khartoum, was arrested on Sunday after complaints from parents that she had insulted Islam’s Prophet by allowing the bear to be named Mohammad. She is facing a third night in jail without being formally charged.

“The teacher asked me what I wanted to call the teddy,” the boy said shyly, his voice barely rising above a whisper. “I said Mohammad. I named it after my name,” he added.

Sitting in his garden wearing shorts, his family, who did not want their full names used, urged him to describe what had happened.

He said he was not thinking of Islam’s Prophet when asked to suggest a name, adding most of the class agreed with his choice.

[...]

Mohammad said Gibbons was “very nice” and he would be upset if she never came back to teach. He added Gibbons had not discussed religion nor did she mention the Prophet.

“We studied maths and English and spelling,” he said, rubbing his mop of short, curly hair.

It’s doubtful this will make a difference, as Sudanese law enforcement seem hell-bent on making an example of this evil westerner to the rest of the world:

Justice Minister Mohamed Ali al-Mardi told Reuters formal charges would be leveled once investigations had been completed.

“(The charges) are under the Sudanese penal code … insulting religion and provoking the feelings of Muslims,” he said.

“These are preliminary — after investigation the final charges will be ascertained,” he added.

If charged and convicted of insulting Islam, Gibbons could be sentenced to 40 lashes, six months in prison or a fine, lawyers said.

Brennen at the American Pundit blog wonders: “why is naming a teddy bear Muhammad insulting, but not naming your child the same?”

I suspect it’s because when someone names their child “Mohammed,” which incidentally has become a very popular name in Muslim immigration havens like Britain, they are doing it out of “honor” of the “prophet,” rather than attempting to “make light of” or “cheapen” or “ridicule” him. If anyone else would like to correct or clarify that, please feel free to do so in the comments.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Trackbacks

  • Moonbattery trackbacked with Muslims Demand Execution over Teddy Bear
  • 6 Responses to “Young Sudanese student: Teddy bear was named after me, not that Mohammed”

    Comments

    1. camojack says:

      What about all the Hispanics who name their sons Jesus? :-\

    2. forest hunter says:

      camojack: Or the folks that named them after that famous childrens book author Hey Seuss! :o Royalties and forty lashes notwithstanding, oh the humanity!!!

    3. Sam says:

      1. That’s stupid. I’m a devout Muslim and calling a cute teddy Mohammed isn’t wrong at all; it’s not like she called a toilet by that name.

      2. Well, my first point is also my second: calling a BOY Mohammed is a sort of honour, although the name is very common among non-Muslims as well (my best friend is a Christian Mohammad, actually). But naming a dog or something, especially in these sensitive times (with hate for Islam having risen 1000% after 9/11), Muslims are a bit paranoid.

    4. Lorica says:

      Muslims are a bit paranoid

      Muslims in Sudan are paranoid because of Americans??? Why?? – Lorica

    5. USpace says:

      That poor lady and those poor kids. Many of them will be ruined growing up in that hole. Well said! Green Ink has a great cartoon of a MoTeddy, THAT would get the European Muzzies rioting too.

      This would make a wonderful Ramadan gift. A New Dark Age is Dawning has a link to them for sale at the Cafe Press store.

      Calling these ignorant freaks in Sudan human garbage is just too kind. Oh so peaceful, effin SICK animals…

      .
      absurd thought -
      God of the Universe says
      give a pig a prophet’s name

      glorify the godly swine
      and thank him for his bacon

      .
      absurd thought -
      God of the Universe says
      outlaw all teddy bears

      before some little kids
      try to honor a prophet

      .
      absurd thought -
      God of the Universe says
      pay your teachers with DEATH

      for visiting to help out
      your ungrateful country

      http://citizenwarrior2.blogspot.com/

      http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
      .