Every American who cares about such things is already familiar with this story. “Sudanese call for teddy bear teacher's death”.According to the news agencies that took these pictures,
“Thousands of protesters, many brandishing clubs and swords, took to the streets of Sudan’s capital Friday, demanding the execution of a British teacher who let her students name a teddy bear Muhammad….Protesters waved sticks, knives, axes and swords.
“’Kill her, kill her by firing squad!’ they chanted. ‘No tolerance, execution!’”
“Others shouted, ‘Shame, shame on the U.K.’”
And now today’s Washington Post reports that
Gibbons was moved from the Omdurman women's prison to a secret location on Friday after thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and swords and beating drums, burned pictures of her and demanded her execution.
The Post also reports that
There was no overt sign that the government organized the protest, but such a rally could not have taken place without at least official assent.
The reason Ms. Gibbons had to be moved to a secret location is, obviously to protect her from being lynched by the people in the pictures and thousands more of their brethren. (More on lynching in another post. I wasn't going to blog this weekend, but I can't stand this.)
There isn't going to be any shortage of commentary on this highly unpleasant action by Khartoum, the Sharia Court, and the Sudanese people represented in these photos. There's no need for me to add to it here.
But my question here is going somewhere else, and I'm asking on behalf of myself and those others of us who are regularly branded as phobic, and bigoted haters because we identify Islam with violenct intolerance.
Are the Sudanese Muslim men we see in these pictures--burning newspapers, brandishing swords, and demanding Ms. Gibbons's execution because their Prophet was insulted by having his name given to a Teddy Bear, (given to the bear by someone else, no less, a seven-year-old Muslim boy named Muhammed)--
--are these people only a marginal extremist Islamic minority, or hijackers of a peaceful Islam, or are they truly performing their religious duty as Muslims?
I would really like to hear from anyone who believes that these demonstrators/rioters should not be considered representative of authentic Islam.
Please explain this.
--are these people only a marginal extremist Islamic minority, or hijackers of a peaceful Islam, or are they truly performing their religious duty as Muslims?
I would really like to hear from anyone who believes that these demonstrators/rioters should not be considered representative of authentic Islam.
Please explain this.
10 comments:
After all the Teddy Bear is innocent and not a terrorist, neither I have seen a terrorist Teddy Bear. Why they do not pick on the men named Mohammad and punish them instead. We all know most of them are terrorists.
Who was behind all this riot? Of course the politicians and the security systems of Sudan. Why?
They use the weakness of the people by using the Islamic religious methods. What for? To strike a political deal with the U.K. over the fate of the teacher. Why again? To show the whole world or part of it ( I.E. the Democratic world, for the rest do not give a damn )that the Sudani regime is humane by releasing her so they attempt to cover up all the masacres they commited in Darfur and Sudan. Good luck in getting an answer.
Please note, newspaper accounts state that these riots occurred immediately after Friday prayers. These riots were obviously organized by the Imams. The way these actions are going, are we nearing the point where Western Governments will consider banning Islam?
Who do you think gave the orders to the Sheiks or Imams? The Shieks or Imams are toys in the regime's hand and vise verse. Both have one objective to spread more hatred against other religions and Westerners for it is the basic teaching of Islam. They always use Friday where most of the people gather in mosques to politicalize their religion. Let us wait and see what kind of deal will come out of it. Do you think that there is a freedom of speech in Sudan, Syria, Lybia, Yemen, ETC!!! No, for everything before published is overlooked by the Islamic regimes and their security apparatus. I would not rely on newspapers accounts, and no the West will not ban Islam for they have political and economical interest in their world. Such a shame.
Dear, Anonymous #2
Are you joking? Politicians and the security systems of Sudan are behind the riots. Who told you this? Chomsky?
Go sell crazy somewhere else - we are all stocked up here.
Do you find it compelling that the Rent-A-radRiot crowd are held in reserve for MOHAMMAD ONLY issues. We hear of all the islamophobia and evil done to Muslims - But, only when Big Mo is insulted do they get mad enough to blow up cars & buildings, while shouting death sentences.
This Mohammad must be the most insecure guy ever born on earth. He was not content to limit throat slitting to his own lifetime. His legacy is a contrived religion dedicated to throat slitting and jihad to all who dare to say:
pbuh - pestilence be upon him
To Anonymous #4, and I will call DEAR,
I know you are stocked up here and surrounded by terrorists, but are you doing anything about it? NO. So you admitting that the regime in Sudan is not ruled by Muslim people and their apparatus is not Muslim?
You are saying that this regime did not host the Evil Osama Bin Laden before the attacks of 9/11?
You are saying that the US should not have targeted chemical factories in Sudan built with the money of Bin Laden to launch terrorist attacks against us, the Western world and other religions? You are saying that the regime did not kill the Sudani Christian leader John Gharang? You are saying the regime did not do all this in the name of Islam?
I am just wondering are the Sudanies politicians clueless of what is going on under their on eyes. Deffinetly not, for they are the open cover for the hating undercover Islam and they sponsore it.
By the way I do not know who Chomsky is and I do not sell crazy ideas and I will go somewhere else where people are able to understand history and facts. No insult, DO YOU KNOW YOURS.
Ok, let's hear it for Anon. #2's ability to kick butt with the facts. You win the Mohammad Teddy Bear competition. If there was one that is.
Even though I made up my mind to go somewhere else I was tempted to say one last thing here. Do you thing life and death of people and terrorising them is a competition? Do you thing exposing the facts by kicking ( butts ) is winning? I am sorry but no, it is not what so ever.
Winning when we clean up this world from terrorists and the Evils behind them.
Good luck every body and GOD bless.
This week's events in Sudan really have to make the rest of the world shake their heads in wonder. A 54-year-old British teacher, Gillian Gibbons, who had recently arrived in Sudan, has been arrested by Sudanese authorities. Her crime? It seems that as part of her lessons on bears to her class of 7-year olds, she had the pupils bring in teddy bears to class. As part of the lesson, the children were asked to choose names for the teddy bears. The children chose the name, Mohammed for one bear, and all hell broke loose. It seems that naming a teddy bear Mohammed is an insult against Islam. Accordingly, Ms Gibbons has been arrested and charged for blasphemy- or whatever they call it.
During the ensuing diplomatic crisis between Sudan and Britain, it was reported that the unfortunate lady was facing a maximum punishment of 6 months in prison, plus 40 lashes! Apparently, diplomatic efforts have paid off (to some extent). Ms Gibbons has been sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation.
Not content to leave well enough alone in the face of world-wide shock, the Sudanese have in the past 24 hours carried out a massive demonstration in the heart of beautiful downtown Khartoum-demanding the execution of the British lady as just punishment for insulting Islam. Of course, it should be pointed out that such a demonstration in Sudan (which is under dictatorial rule) would not be possible without the consent-if not the direction of the government. So now the world is treated to the usual scene of outraged Muslim mobs in the streets shouting "Death to All!" (or something like that).
First of all, what kind of country is this Sudan, where a 54-year-old woman would even have to spend 15 days in jail for such an "offense"? Well, for starters, this is the same Sudan where a quarter of a million people have been slaughtered in the Darfur region by killers supported by the government-an atrocity that continues as we speak. This is one of the most odious regimes in the world today.
Then we must ask: what kind of mentality leads people to demand death for naming a teddy bear Mohammed? How about a barbaric 7th Century mentality?
I am not a Brit, but if I were, I would be demanding that my government break off relations and all aid to such a nation. This is not the first outrage that the UK has swallowed at the hands of a 4th rate banana republic. Remember Idi Amin's Uganda? Remember the murder of a British policewoman by riflefire from the Libyan Embassy in London? Remember the British sailors held hostage by Iran? Whatever happened to the Britain of Margaret Thatcher? I remember when Argentina seized the Falkland Islands from the Brits, and Thatcher sent in the troops to take them back by force. Sadly, the Brits are bending over backwards to placate radical Islam-even in their own country.
And what about the so-called moderate Muslims? Why aren't other Muslim governments speaking out against their Sudanese brethren for bringing further embarassment to Islam? Are British Muslims demonstrating against the Sudanese treatment of a British subject in the name of Islam? Well, probably not since they prefer to wave banners reading, "Behead those who insult Islam!"
Frankly, I am up to here with the sight of Muslim mobs all over the world jumping up and down, shaking their fists, burning other nations' flags and demanding death to people they don't like. It is high time that Muslims join the 21st Century and start acting like civilized people instead of 7th Century barbarians. As for the so-called moderate Muslims, it is past time to stand up to the crazies and re-establish Islam as a religion worthy of respect.
As for Ms Gibbons, I pray for her safe return back to civilization. Sudan does not deserve the help of people like her. Her experience should be a lesson to other westerners who feel compelled to go and serve people who don't appreciate it.
gary fouse
fousesquawk
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