Gillian Gibbons and the Sudanese Judiciary

Gillian Gibbons has today been charged with blasphemy, inciting hatred and insulting Islam in Sudan for allegedly naming a class teddy bear Mohamed.

Blasphemy is a crime on the statute book of Sudan, as it is in many countries governed by Islamic law. It is usually synonymous with apostasy (the rejection of one's religion). An apostate is identified by blasphemy against Allah or Muhammad or by insurrection against the Islamic state.

Mrs Gibbons, who is not a Muslim, however cannot be charged with apostasy, which in some countries carries the death penalty. The Commission for the Rights of Non-Muslims was set up in Khatoum in February this year to protect the rights of non-Muslims living under Islamic law, nevertheless Mrs Gibbons has fallen foul of the implementation of Sharia in the Northern part of Sudan.

The charges brought against Mrs Gibbons are based on a Sunnah (act or saying of the prophet) rather than a verse of the Koran.

Sharia, implemented in Northern Sudan in 1991, is made up of the Koran and the Sunnah and judges in the country are charged with interpreting and implementing Sharia in light of the facts of the case.

This is the constitution of Sudan. Article 39 (1) guarantees Freedom of Opinion and Expression but is subject to restrictions in accordance the law of the land and public morals. State legislation on blasphemy is intended to deter people from insulting Allah or Muhammad and overrides the right to Freedom of Opinion or Expression.

The exact punishment for someone who insults Allah or Muhammad is not set out in Sharia, but is decided by individual judges in each case. It would appear that Mrs Gibbons is the victim of a particularly harsh interpretation of the Blasphemy law and in another Islamic country or under another judge the case may have been dismissed.

The Sudanese Judiciary site explains the levels of courts in the country that Mrs Gibbons may go through. And here is a Human Rights group for Sudan. This article however argues that the Sudanese Judiciary are key to stability and peace and democracy in the troubled region.

The International Religious Freedom report 2007 on Sudan explains the differing approaches to religious freedom in the Northern and Southern regions of the country.

The Muslim Council of Britain has come out in strong condemnation of the charges.

Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam in Leicester and chair of the Muslim Council of Britain's Interfaith Council, said: "If someone were to intentionally blaspheme then the judicial process would be set in motion but Mrs Gibbons didn't go out to insult Islam and it should have been for the school to deal with."

Joanna Sugden

Comments

[Toby Scott]

Blasphemy is illegal in the UK as well. There is a petition online trying to change this: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/revokeblasphemy/

[Kong Kek Kuat]

Good for she and others who are already there in Sudan and other Islamic countries. This ought to teach you westerners a lesson that Muslims are generally beyond hope and help. Why don´t you just leave them as they are [in their 'holy' land] and let them suffer and perish?

[shair]

she is not guilty and must be released without conditions.she chose faris.20 pupils chose muhammad.she is not fully aware of this 'referring' matter.

islamic law=based on both Sunnah (act of the prophet) and verse of the Quran

christian also have practised law on blasphemy:

In 2005 Marithé and François Girbaud's parodied Leonardo's religious painting The Last Supper ...The Catholic church initiated a controversial lawsuit against the Girbauds...The judge qualified the poster as "an insult to Christians."

A British evangelical organisation, Christian Voice led street protests against the BBC screening of Jerry Springer “ The Opera, in which Jesus wearing a nappy...Christian Voice published the home addresses and telephone numbers of several BBC executives on their web site. This led to one of these people receiving death threats. Another organisation, the Christian Institute attempted to level blasphemy charges against the BBC

Christian Voice says the show is deliberately offensive and provocative to Christians.

The BBC received more than 60,000 complaints over the broadcast of the hit stage show in January

More than 7,940 people complained to the media regulator Ofcom before it was shown on BBC Two, followed by a further 8,860 afterwards.

" Blasphemy laws in England...person in Britain to be imprisoned for blasphemy was John William Gott on 9 December 1921. He had three previous convictions for blasphemy...comparing Jesus to a circus clown. He was sentenced to nine months' hard labour. In 1977, Denis Lemon...found guilty of blasphemous libel...fined 500 pound... nine months imprisonment..."

In march 2005...Moscow court...January 2003 organisers of an art exhibition guilty of inciting religious hatred and fined them 100,000 roubles (£2,000) each...The Russian Orthodox Church had condemned director Yuri Samodurov and his colleague Lyudmila Vasilovskaya...court ruling the show was "openly insulting and blasphemous''...Coca-Cola logo with Jesus' face shown next to it, with the words: "This is my blood"...was also a sculpture of a church made from vodka bottles.

[Iqbal]

I was surprised by the reaction; there is a long tradition of bears in Islam, indeed one was even considered a prophet in his own right, according to tradition: http://www.tektonics.org/guest/pooh.html

[renny]

I am dismayed at such and interpretaion of anyone in the 21st century. I think these people are crazy and I feel sorry for the teacher. I would suggest that all foriegn personal quit all Arab countries and let them get on with their own education as we seem world apart and justice doesn't exist there.

[Fati]

No the MCB has not 'come out strongly against', it calls it a 'silly affair', it is an absolute outrage, and brings the Koran out into the open for what it really is, a very ancient tribal text in need of radical reformation.
And this affair reveals the outrage done to the South of Sudan: having Sharia law imposed on a non muslim population was sheer oppression, and the UK government was responsible for failing to make the South a seperate state from the Arab North. Instead it gave the South to Islamists, bequeathing death, slavery and destruction on a vast scale.

[November Mike]

Why on earth are we pouring money into Sudan? It appears that the country is so fragmented and extreem that all we are doing is assisting in the cultivation of hatred of anyone white or Christian.

[J.P.Walsh.]

Why did You go to Khartoum to teach when so many need you here in the UK?The ludicrously contrived Shar'ia Law now has you victim of your simplicity and innocence.The wickedness of your convicted punishment defies belief.Allah is merciful,but His political exponents leave mercy to be desired.
In their terms,May Allah deliver you from the contrived machinations of his manifestly unworthy "servants",persons of entirely malicious and political intent.Given your freedom leave at once.Sudan is eminently malignant in every way.
J.P.Walsh.

[J.P.Walsh.]

Dear Ahmadinajed, Greetings.Simply to advise You that,as soon as you have an Iranian nuclear weapon should You exploit it in any direction,You and your Iranian population will,within fifteen minutes, be circling our World stratospherically as Carbon-14 particles for the next five-thousand years.You get my meaning!
Please,Armadinajacket,Do be careful!
There is so much at stage,your very own life included

J.P. Walsh.

[Edmund Burke]

We read so much in the press about school classes that are so rowdy as to be uncontrollable. But here was a case of a teacher who had her class in perfect control, and was allowing them to express their love for their culture through the medium of a cuddly toy, which any one of them would have happily hugged. If Gillian Gibbons is condemned, it will create deeper wounds in inter-cultural relations than any loony racists could have hoped for.

[mark mcfarland]

I work in Dubai with mostly Arab, Palestinian and Lebanese. Almost all are Muslim. We were talking about this case in the office this afternoon and all are appalled at the utter stupidity of this case and how it makes their religion appear Medieval.

As many said, 'If it's blashpemous to name your Teddybear Mohammed, then what about all those Muslim men who are called Mohammed?' Should their parents be stoned to death too.

Interestingly, many of my colleagues think that the age of Islamic fundamentalism is coming to an end. The shameful violence in Iraq and the wealth-enhancing effects of rising oil prices will alientate the remaining trogolytes from the majority who are now joining the global economy and realising that's it's a wonderful place to be.

I hope they are right.

[William]

The Sudanese judiciary (and by implication sharia law) have made fools of themselves, and the Wahhabists have lost another skirmish in the battle for hearts and minds in the West. If anyone harms a hair in that poor, naive, humane woman's head during her fifteen days in prison I hope the true (that is, non-jihadist) Muslim world will condemn it as a disgrace and aberration from the true Islamic religion. I say this in sorrow, having worked in Sudan and loved the country and its people before it was taken over by jihadists.

[Paul Butler]

This woman was completely innocent and obviously well-meaning - there was nothing to defend.

The result is a glowing example of the Medieval norm epitomising Islam and the Muslim religion's intolerance - it makes a mockery of our own tolerance, indeed interest, that is promulgated in our schools and generally throughout our country, despite huge provocation (ie. veils in schools, preachers of hate/ intolerance, suicide bombers).

It beggars belief that Labour are continuing to attempt to further stifle free speech ( "hate laws "etc.)when we have massive evidence of Islamic intolerance towards any other religion or way of life ( ie. Democracy).

It also highlights the paucity of common sense and basic intelligence, and lack of any sense of humanity, on the part of the Sudanese Islamic authorities,who, in the name of Islam are appearing to be utterly bigoted, idiotic and puerile - children naming a teddy bear with a commonly heard and used name, for sound educational use, is in no way a threat to anyone in the 21st Century.

The hypocrisy is illuminating, and will have increased further the negative perception of the Muslim faith by Western observers - we see bigotry, intolerance, continuous fanaticism, aggressiveness, "Stone-Age" thinking and discrimination, and brain-washing of the gullible, to mention just a few negatives.

Let's hope our Archbishop speaks out against real evil rather than slating the USA and Israel.

( I wonder if there will be any cartoons re teddy bears,teachers and Mohammed - there certainly should be.

This is Just more Reason Christians Worldwide need to Take a Stand For The Only True God The King of Kings The King of All Glory...Jesus Christ!!

[Mike]

I have mixed feelings about this. I'm really sorry for the poor woman but the whole thing is outrageously funny. It's straight out of Life of Brian. All we need now is for Osama to declare a Jihad against Crusading and Zionist teddy bears.

I suspect the Sudanese have done us all a favour by demonstrating just how desperate some Muslims are to take offence.

[Harlan Leyside]

Islamism is political rather than religious. It uses and abuses the Koran & Sunnah via pronouncements from pliable, compromised clerics to serve it's political purposes.
Joanna Sugden displays a stunning ignorance of the reality of Sudan by her talk of the constitution, courts and free speech. This is a dictatorship where the mass murdering, genocidal regime decides what is allowed and what is not. The media is totally state owned, subservient to the Govt, so any notion of free speech is absurd.

[Keith Bentham]

There is no god, there is no allah. Religious holy books are all fiction. Their adherents chase smoke and myth. The fact billions of people adhere to religions is an indictment of humanity. They can never solve any problem or address any real issue because their entire world view is phony. The religious of the world are a millstone around the neck of everyone who believes in truth, reason, logic and science.

[Andrew Clarke]

Recently it was suggested that this hassle is due to a misunderstanding not about the intentions of the teacher, but rather about the western significance of the teddy bear. In regards to this, it's rather interesting to read this article about whether Winnie-The-Pooh is a good muslim: http://www.tektonics.org/guest/pooh.html

[Carl Waring]

"This is Just more Reason Christians Worldwide need to Take a Stand For The Only True God The King of Kings The King of All Glory...Jesus Christ!!"

I'd like to take a stand against the needless use of capitals at the beginning of words that are not the first words of a sentence, proper nouns or any other word that requires their use!

[alan holloway]

This whole sorry episode underlines why no other country outside a hard line Muslim country should have any dealings with Sudan. You can not help people with any sort of aid or hand of friendship if they do not wish it and only wish to harm others. I am sure if the supposedly more civilised world ignored Sudan politically & economically it would bring the Sudanese government and it's people to a sense of reality.

[garry White]

yest more proof that religion is stupid. when will ever learn...

All religions must be judged by their founders actions and teachings:
Mohammad killed the living, Jesus raised the dead.
Mohammad harmed the healthy, Jesus healed the sick.
Mohammad enslaved the free, Jesus released the oppressed.
In the Hadiths we read of Mohammad giving his close followers the death penalty for their shortcomings - so the "Christian" teacher got off lightly. Would Mohammad have been so lenient?

[nick smith]

the only way to deal with fanatics of any type, relgious or political is to oppose them, negotiation is not an option,

[Nigel Meek]

Don't be so hard on these religious bigots. Don't forget "Christians" burnt witches at the stake in Christian 1428. In Muslim 1428 they only send them to prison for 15 days.

Religion - a man made ideology for the few to control the many.

[Geoff]

Maybe I am missing a point here - but aren't many people called Mohammed (or variations on the spelling). What argument/reasoning is used to justify such a use of the name? I am sure there will be some justification used - but surely this is the point - it's just about one person or group interpreting what can and cannot be said or done and seeking to impose their view on others.

Geoff

[Neal Hightower]

Sudanese Muslim violent reactions to western cultural norms is a continuation of centuries of African tribes inability to integrate into the world body. Cannibalism, Genocide, Voo Doo, witchcraft, drug trafficking, money laundering, are a few of the failed markings of a civilization apparently incapable globally genetically of putting aside instruments of destruction in dealing with civil and criminal controversy. What a vision of a small god that continues to approach religious controversy with a hacking blade. There is a lesson in this for all of us. Put down the knife and listen to the spiritual heart, for there resides the key to magnanimous resolution. Yes, equal distribution of resources is the only hope for long term survival on this planet, and it begins with compassion not competitive slaughter.

[Brad]

Its amazing they lock up a westen teacher in the middle east for letting kids name a teddy, whats happened to the kids then why do they not get lashed or their parents for bringing them up badly as its they who believe in that religion and have used the name in vain! Secondly we have mad Muslims and Islamics on our streets in London burning our flag of Great Britian, saying all us British should be Muslim and even saying kill the british and all this happens in front of our powerless politically correct police force, who dont arrest them for their crimes to our once Great Britian.

[Clive]

Time for our so called Government to stop all aid to this and any other radical Muslim controlled country. Why spend my tax £s there? Send aid where it will be appreciated.

[max bernstein]

you can expect nothing else from the murderes moslems of darfur

[raj malhotra]

What i fail to understand is that it is okay to call a baby Muhammad but not the babies toy.

[Bruce Northwood]

Perhaps we should name the horse's ass Mohammed.

[Richard Burridge]

Nearly all the comments of condemnation are from Caucasian people. Where are the voices of the so - called enlightened Muslims? Too embarrassed to speak out?

[ron]

Now we have demonstrations calling for Ms.Gibbons demise.I also understand that she has been shifted to a hell hole of a prison.This woman will be lucky to get out of Sudan alive.Thank you for your list,Shair.Sort of pales by comparison,doesn't it?Couldn't find any lashings for being raped?No honor killings?Any suicide bombers?Beheadings?You didn't find any Christian stonings?Check Islam for these.You'll find them aplenty.

[andras]

What did they do to the teddy bear?

[leigh]

Only 15 days in prisons? I can just imagine Mohammad’s disdain for such a wimpish punishment. Not for him the easy way out. Poets such as Ibnu’l Ashraf who was said to have insulted Mohammad/ Islam, would invariably end up murdered at the instigation of the “prophet” himself. The truth that dare not speak its name is that anything that Mohammad did is Islamic.
Do you honestly think any knowledgeable Muslim can attract people to his or her religion if they candidly explain his modus operandi?

[Andrew May]

Clearly she is an extraordinarily stupid woman, but if all stupid Brits were imprisoned who would run the railways? Or travel on them? I am sorry for her.

[Jabli Izvesti]

Why did Gillian Gibbons go to a godforsaken country like Sudan?Is it it just to make a living or to civilise the fanatics there?What is her political background?Does she oppose the war on terror and hate Tony Blair?Her motivation in going to that country could throw some light on the kind of punishment she now faces.

[free dom]

The problem is PC. England bends over backwards always, and everyone is afraid of speaking the truth: the truth is that we are absolutely fed up with the muslim and their stupid way of defending their, NOT MINE, profet. It's about time we closed all mosques, and we should all be free, if we feel like it, to say what we want about islam.
All muslim in europe should undergo a test:
1 - see a cartoon of the profet, without complaining
2 - walk a pig called mohammed, without complaining
3 - get used to our life, without complaining
4 - learn english, properly, without complaining
Whoever find any of these points offensive, just leave, we will not miss you.

[James last]

Islam under its current context equals germany in 1935, lets wake up and do something before we reach 1939. The apologists for christianity are the Atlee's, 'here is the paper', sure they only want nuclear electricty not bombs, they only want isreal destroyed, not the west, we must be tolerant, teddies named Mohammed are an extremly serious insult and we must accept we should be punished for it!!. Maybe someone on our side will wake up some time soon.

[Vladimir N Poppe (Polar Pilot)]

I think that the people of Sudan and the rest of their ilk should be left to rot in their own Ideals,just forget trying to help these World Class Jokes of Society!! A Teddy Bear for crying out loud!!!!

[W.S.Becket]

Naming teddybears seems to be a curious way of educating children. What is wrong with something useful such the three r's?
I know that half our school-leavers can scarcely read or write but it seems a shame to inflict our educational system on the Sudanese.

[Monica Tabbet]

I think Faith Central should report on the demonstration staged by British Muslims outside the Sudanese Embassy yesterday to protest AGAINST this terrible arrest.
There is also a huge outcry in the Muslim bloggosphere against this arrest and it would be good to show this as well.
http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=38
http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/mt.php/2007/11/27/insult_what_insult
http://austrolabe.com/2007/12/01/on-naming-teddy-bears/

As for the nutters like 'Free Dom' who call for 'Muslims to learn English but then' but then go ahead and spell prophet 'profet', all I can say is - by demonstrating this sort of bigotry you are no better then those people who arrested Gillian in the first place.

[Dr. Irene Lancaster FRSA]

I teach Muslim and Christian Arabs in a church school in Jaffa, Israel. It'll be interesting to hear the reaction there tomorrow. Most Israeli Arabs I meet are far too civilized to go in for this sort of thing, unlike many of those who live in Muslim and apparently Christian countries, such as England.

The solution is obvious. Send all the Muslims to Israel!

By the way, there is absolutely nothing wrong at all in calling a teddy bear Moses. Just in case you were wondering!

I'm also originally from Liverpool. Maybe the poor innocent would like to help me teach about the Beatles and history and geography of Liverpool in school, as I'm currently doing.

She'd be greeted here with open arms, in my view.

Here's a link to my own blog: http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/

[brigitte]

oh ya...so...they (iranians) can go to ther countries and push there believes around and we have to change our laws for them...but «God help us if we do anything in their God forsaken country!.....let them live in despair..its their only destiny!.......

[Francisco Vidal, Lisbon, Portugal]

I have tried other names, but I have a dog which only responds to the name Muhammad. Is this a problem? Should I behead it?

[Ahmed Mohamed ossama]

you are just proved , that u doesnt know any thing about aslam,muslims.the real muslims
did you ever read the translated(qoraan)?,and if you read it you will know the reality of all this..
you will found the happyness,peacfulness ,the good spirt and the good relation between muslim and each other and even with other people ,our profit mohamed came and advised people to do good things and to behave better with other people and and advise us to not make sins to please god to go to his heaven ,and he also defend for women's rights and he want to keep it safe and pure without making any sins,and belive me that any world looking at awomens as a naked body is not defending there rights,and there is many thing that
(qouran)and the messanger mohamed taking about for the sake of hummanity, and if you read (qouran) you will knows the truth about (aslam)and the real (muslims)not the fake one,and i inviet all whose whant to know the truth to read the translated (qouran) as if you read any other holy book and tray to understand its words,and i promise you ,you will never regret,and i hope and i pray for god to lead all of you to the right way..