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This hit the news recently. I'm not sure if it made the news around the
rest of the world so I'll explain. In short a British Teacher was jailed
this week for allowing her students to call a Teddy Beay Muhammad. Now I
could understand the sentencing if what she said was in some way intended
to be offensive, but from what I've read and heard about this, it was quite
innocent. In my opinion, being a name of that Asian decent, naming a Teddy
that is the equivelent of calling a UK Teddy Bear 'David' or 'John'...Would
we imprison and deport someone for calling a teddy either David or John?
No. So why is it different in Sudan? Or are we too soft in the UK? I'm
interested to hear how it would be if it was a US teacher that was
punished. Would your Government step in? Surely any punishment other than
MAYBE a slap on the wrist (figure of speach, lol), is far too harsh under
these circumstances.
Click here
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2007/11
/071126_sudan.shtml) for the full story.
Cliffy
I don't get it. Why would he be jailed for allowing the kids to call a
Teddy Bear, Muhammed? It's not like he named the bear himself. Even if that
were so, that is not at all a reason to arrest someone. In America,
teaching religion is not allowed in public schools. If something like this
were to happen, provided that a parent would complain, AT MOST the school
district would sit down with the teacher and discuss the manner. He would
most likely not lose his job and would definitely face no penalty from the
government or police.
However, that is why it's America, known for liberty, rights, and freedom
of speech and not...Sudan.
Nissan_Altima
He is a she I believe, lol. Reigion is taught in almost all schools here,
or at least it was like that when I was there (I left in 1999). I just
don't see how anybody could see that name as an insult. As far as I'm
aware, religios or not, that name is quite common throughout Asia. The most
she could be guilty of was being stereotypical as to her choice of name (if
she did have an input in it.)
Cliffy
I've heard about this (it's all over the news here too), and it's
disgusting. The most common name in Muslim countries is Mohammed (2nd most
common name for boys in England), so I can't understand what necessarily
makes it a religious matter. What's even worse than her getting a jail
sentence is all of the people who want her killed! There are so many people
that want to kill her for that that she had to be moved to an undisclosed
location! It's like those people want to piss us off; just a couple of
weeks ago with that girl that was raped in Saudi Arabia and sentenced to
lashes and jail, and now this.
There are officials from England talking, trying to remove the sentence, so
hopefully that's going to work out.
chris_knows
I've just heard that some of the people of Sudan want her dead....C'mon,
there's far more pressing issues in the world today than punishing innocent
people and threatening death!
Cliffy
Yep, it's a 'she'. Sorry, my mouth (so to speak) sometimes moves faster
than my brain. She was found guilty:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22007049/?GT1=10547
Pathetic. Makes me wonder why someone would want to go to Sudan to teach to
begin with.
Nissan_Altima
Did anybody hear? They released her this morning (but she still had to
leave the country). I can't see why people would want her dead for naming a
teddy bear Mohammed, although when you think about it, they seem to have
solved all of their other problems like that genocide thing that's been
going on for the last couple of years.
chris_knows
It's even crazier when you realize that she did not name the bear Mohammed.
She let the students name it Mohammed. Basically, they picked the name and
she "didn't not ok" it.
Nissan_Altima
I wouldn't have wanted to stick around anyway. I think she's going to be
safer back home.
Cliffy
Yeah, but she did say that she was gonna miss the students and enjoyed
teaching at the school. She's supposed to hold a press conference tomorrow.
chris_knows
