Life Changing

Gillian Gibbons is back in the UK, and she's got a whopper to tell:

Gillian Gibbons, the teacher jailed in Sudan for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Mohamed, arrived back in Britain today and declared: "I never imagined this would happen. I am just an ordinary primary school teacher."

Ms Gibbons, 54, touched down at London’s Heathrow Airport at 0700 GMT. She had spent more than a week in jail in Sudan when she was found guilty of insulting Islam after allowing her seven-year-old pupils to give the bear the same name as the sacred prophet.

Looking happy to be home, Ms Gibbons added: "I went out there to have a bit of an adventure and got more of an adventure than I bargained for, I don't think anybody could have imagined it would snowball like that."

Oh really? You think?

How about having to worry about some Islamist lurking the shadows who might teach you and your family a lesson for the teddy bear incident?

If you think this is far fetched, ask Theo Van Gogh. He was murdered for directing a film about Islam called Submission. Simply pointing out that Islamic law is misogynistic fueled fatwas and death threats which he did not take seriously. A jihadi murdered him.

Or, you can ask Salman Rushdie who's been forced to maintain heavy security after publishing the Satanic Verses and Islamists in Iran demanded his head on a platter in a fatwa.

Or, you can ask Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who's been forced to maintain heavy security after death threats for questioning Islam's misogyny and violent tendencies.

Just because Gibbons has returned to the UK doesn't mean that she's safe. Keeping a low profile may not be sufficient. I seriously fear for her life, and she'd be wise to keep an eye out. Better yet, she should look into security arrangements because the jihadis are more than likely to make a political and religious statement by going after her.

Sudan Pardons Gibbons

While this is characterized as a victory for common sense, I think there's more to it than that. Gibbons was freed earlier this morning, and is ostensibly on her way back to Great Britain.

Her life is forever changed by this experience, and not for the better I'm afraid. Islamists have a very long memory and her life is still in danger despite the pardon.

A British school teacher jailed in Sudan for two weeks after allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad was freed Monday following a pardon by the Sudanese president.

President Omar al-Bahir’s pardon of Gillian Gibbons allowed her to leave prison before the end of her 15-day sentence, and ended a diplomatic tangle with what British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called a victory for “common sense.”

Bashir pardoned Gibbons, 54, of Liverpool, after meeting with two Muslim members of Britain’s House of Lords, Nazir Ahmed and Sayeeda Warsi, who had traveled to the predominantly Muslim African nation to lobby for her release.

While Muslim groups in the West may want to portray this as a misunderstanding, the Islamists have a different take.

Bryan at Hot Air has a similar take; noting that Gibbons was forced to leave (pretty much for her own protection) because the Islamists weren't going to stand down anytime soon, and were going to demand her death until someone finally succeeded. Sudan didn't apologize for their wrongheaded treatment, nor did they exonerate her.

UPDATE:
Gibbons notes that she's sorry that she has to leave Sudan. She was teaching kids, which is an admirable thing to do.

However, her life is seriously in danger - if she stays, and even if she leaves. Those death threats aren't going to stop at the Sudanese border.

UPDATE:
Was a grudge to blame for this whole mess? It appears that way:

The two sources said Sarah Khawad was fired as the school's secretary in November after an employment spat and threatened to shut down the school.

The sources said Khawad did not appear to have a vendetta against Gibbons, but hoped that by bringing the teddy bear incident to the education minister's attention, he would close down the school for anti-Islamic teachings.

The private school was shut down after the controversy came to light last week. It is unclear if it will reopen.

Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed, Islam's founder, some Muslims consider likenesses highly offensive.

The sources said they have confirmed the account with Gibbons.

And Gibbons was the poor soul who got hammered hardest by Khawad's claims and belief in adhering to a strict Islamist education.

Brits Seek Pardon For Gillian Gibbons; Sudanese Seethe

Two Muslim lawmakers in the British Parliament have been in Khartoum since Saturday morning meeting with government officials and community leaders in hopes of reaching a deal to free Gibbons.

But the country's justice minister said Sunday that only President Omar al-Bashir had the power to issue a pardon.

Nazir Ahmed and Sayeeda Warsi, members of the House of Lords, who arrived in Khartoum Saturday, now believe unless a deal is done by Sunday evening she will remain locked up until next Saturday, Time magazine reporter Sam Dealey told CNN. Video Watch as lawmakers try to free teacher »

The two lawmakers are working to convince the Sudanese government that releasing her now would create international goodwill, while continuing to hold her would mean extraordinarily ill will toward their country, Dealey said.

Moderates, who are in the majority in Sudan's government, appeared ready to hand her over to the British Embassy Sunday, but have become reluctant as hardliners in the minority increase local pressure on them, he said.

The moderates aren't in control; it's the Islamists. They may have a majority in the government, but they don't have control. Khartoum is dominated by Islamists, including the President. Those Islamists are not going to let this pass with a pardon. Then, CNN engages in some dissembling:

The case has sparked outrage both in Sudan and in Britain.

On Friday, hundreds of angry protesters, some waving ceremonial swords from trucks equipped with loud speakers, gathered outside the presidential palace in Khartoum to denounce Gibbons, with some calling for her execution.

The outrage shown by the Sudanese wasn't simply a few hundred people, but thousands streaming into the streets demanding Gibbons' head on a platter or shot to death for allowing her young students naming a teddy bear Mohammed.

Other reports showed thousands demanding Gibbons be executed. The demonstrations in Britain were muted and responses were virtually nonexistent among feminist groups or human rights groups.

So far, Gibbons is being treated well, despite being incarcerated for a trumped up crime in a kangaroo court that took hours to sentence her to 15 days jail and deportation for her "crime". She'd be treated even better if she was free to return to Britain and apologies given to her for this abhorrent treatment.

Of course, the Islamists will have nothing of that. They want her head on a platter and are upset that she was given such a lax sentence. To them, any affront of their religious views is a death sentence.

Some Muslim groups have spoken out against Gibbons' treatment by the Sudanese authorities, but they're few and far between. These groups really need to find their voice and tell the Islamists where to stick it. Of course, this puts those groups at odds with the Islamists who consider anything less than strict adherence to Sharia (Islamic law) apostasy and subjects those Muslims to fatwas and death sentences.

UPDATE:
Looks like whatever diplomatic maneuverings the Brits did, may have worked. There are multiple reports that Gibbons will be spirited out of Sudan within hours to the UK. This isn't to say that she's home free or safe, as Islamists around the world don't take kindly to someone insulting Islam.

The Sun notes the following:

If Gillian is released early, she is expected to be whisked to the airport from a secret government detention building.

Armed police are on standby to protect her after 10,000 sword-wielding fanatics took to the streets demanding her execution on Friday.

Consider that in light of the lowballing of the number of demonstrators calling for her death. The sentiment calling for her death is quite deep - and far more widespread than the Sudanese care to admit.

Sudanese Call For Gibbons' Death, Amnesty Int'l Silent

A screenshot worth a thousand words.

Compare that with the whining and seething of the Sudanese, who are busy calling for Gibbons' death. She was convicted of insulting Islam in a kangaroo court yesterday. Her sentence of 15 days jail and deportation is not harsh enough for the Islamists, who want her killed.

Her supposed crime?

Allowing her students to name a teddy bear Mohammed.

Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied Friday in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad."

The protesters streamed out of mosques after Friday sermons, as pickup trucks with loudspeakers blared messages against Gillian Gibbons, the teacher who was sentenced Thursday to 15 days in prison and deportation.

They massed in central Martyrs Square, outside the presidential palace, where hundreds of riot police were deployed, although they did not attempt to stop the rally.

"Shame, shame on the U.K.," protesters chanted.

They called for Gibbons' execution, saying, "No tolerance: Execution," and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad."

I predicted as much yesterday.

UPDATE:
Hot Air opines on the Sudanese Islamists getting whipped into a frenzy during the Friday prayers and further notes this report by Jammie and warns that say what you will about these tactics but don’t say they don’t work.

UPDATE:
Michelle Malkin weighs in, and notes that Sudanese are calling for the children who named the teddy bear Mohammed to be punished as well.

UPDATE:
The BBC seriously underplays the seriousness of the demonstrators and what they're demanding. I'd actually consider this journalistic malpractice. Thousands of Sudanese were demanding Gibbons' death - not merely demanding that she receive a harsher sentence and the BBC decided to bury those details beneath the lede:

Crowds of people have marched in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to call for a tougher sentence for a UK teacher jailed for insulting religion.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was jailed for 15 days on Thursday after allowing children in her class to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Some news agencies reported protesters had called for her to be shot.

Those crowds were full of people carrying knives and clubs demanding vengeance. They weren't demanding her release - unless by release you mean releasing her life force from her body.

UPDATE:
Let's go to the photos of the demonstrations. More than just a few hundred folks. Lots of knives gleaming in the sun. Gibbons has been taken to a secret location, which tells you that the Sudanese government knows a lynch mob would tear the place apart to deal her the punishment they see fit.

UPDATE:
Even though Gibbons might be in custody and faces jail, her situation may invariably be better than her students who may face a far harsher future.

UPDATED: Sudanese Kangeroo Court Finds Woman Guilty In Teddy Bear Case

The Islamists aren't going to be happy unless Gilliam Gibbons is sentenced to death for allowing her students to vote and name a teddy bear Mohammed. If the sentence is not death, expect that their whining and seething will be replaced by rioting.

A powerful Sudanese newspaper urged authorities to call a hardline Islamist leader linked to Osama bin Laden to give evidence at her trial, to stress how offensive the case was to Muslims.

Extreme Islamic groups said Mrs Gibbons "must die" and urged Muslims to hold street protests after prayers tomorrow.

The Sudanese government already realizes that it's got a mess on its hands, and security is tight around the courtroom, but that doesn't diminish the role the government is playing in this whole mess.

Gibbons did nothing wrong. Her students, many of whom are Muslim, named a teddy bear after Mohammed, and one of the parents complained and got the ball rolling.

In a statement read to the court, Gibbons explained the incident and emphasized that her 7-year-old students picked the teddy bear's name, British Embassy spokesman Omar Daair told The Associated Press. Gibbons' lawyer said she would likely take the stand later.

The case set up an escalating diplomatic dispute with Britain, Sudan's former colonial ruler.

Prosecutor-General Salah Eddin Abu Zaid told the AP the British teacher could expect a "swift and fair trial." If convicted, she faces up to 40 lashes, six months in jail and a fine, with the verdict and any sentence up to the judge's discretion, official have said.

The judge ordered the prosecution to bring forward the person who originally raised the complaint against Gibbons — an office assistant at the Unity High School, said Isam Abu Hasabu, the head of the school's parent-teacher association, who was in the courtroom.

Gibbons' chief lawyer, Kamal Djizouri, scuffled with a tight police cordon before he was allowed in. British diplomats who were initially barred were also eventually allowed to enter.

Djizouri said he would argue her case based on Islamic Sharia law and show there was "absolutely no intention to insult religion, and for blasphemy to take place there must be an insult."

Gibbons was teaching her pupils, who are around age 7, about animals, and asked one of them to bring in her teddy bear, according to Robert Boulos, the director for Unity High School.

Gibbons asked the students to pick names for it and they proposed Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad, and in September, the pupils voted to name it Muhammad, he said.

Each child was allowed to take the bear home on weekends and write a diary about what they did with it. The diary entries were collected in a book with the bear's picture on the cover, labeled, "My Name is Muhammad," he said. The bear itself was never labeled with the name, he added.

Initial reports said a parent had complained about Gibbons, but Boulos said he was later told it was a staffer. He said parents of the students supported Gibbons.

Sudanese justice may be swift, but it certainly isn't fair. I fear she's going to be railroaded into a guilty plea, if only to avert rioting should she be found not guilty.

More to the point, it would further cement the status of Islamic law in the country, which bodes ill for all non Muslims in the country.

UPDATE:
That was quick. Sudan court finds teacher guilty of insulting religion, Reuters reports. (HT: anonymous emailer)

UPDATE:
Via the Reuters website - 15 days detention and deportation according to Gibbons' lawyer. The Islamists will not be pleased.

UPDATE:
Others blogging: Michelle Malkin and Jammie,

The Sudanese Name Game

Be careful what you name a stuffed teddy bear. It might get the religious police to arrest you and threaten you with whipping and a prison sentence. Sudan is charging a teacher from Britain with insulting Islam.

Sudan on Wednesday charged a British teacher with insulting religion and inciting hatred, a crime punishable by up to 40 lashes, six months in prison or a fine, after she named a class teddy bear "Muhammad," Reuters reported.

The charges come a day after a 7-year-old Sudanese boy said Gilliam Gibbons, 54, asked him as part of a school assignment what he wanted to call the stuffed animal and he said, 'Muhammad,' after his name, Reuters reported.

Gibbons, of the private Unity High School in Khartoum, was arrested Sunday after one of her pupils' parents complained, accusing her of naming the bear after Islam's chief prophet. "Muhammad" is a common name among Muslim men, but connecting the Prophet's name to an animal could be seen as insulting by many Muslims.

Several Sudanese newspapers on Tuesday ran a statement reportedly from Unity High School saying that Gibbons had been "removed from work at the school" and apologizing for any offense, though it said the incident was a "misunderstanding."

Islam must be quite the insecure religion if they've got to beat the snot out of anyone who doesn't comply - especially if you're not a Muslim. Then again, Islam means submit - and Muslim is English for "one who submits."

UPDATE:
The regime in Khartoum would like you to think that this is an isolated incident, but that isn't the case. These incidents are common throughout the Islamic world, and Sudan is among those nations that enforce Islamic law against those who do not adhere to Islamic law. However, the Islamists gives away their real feelings on the matter; they think the teddy bear name is part of an insidious plot:

But Sudan's top clerics said in a statement Wednesday that the full measure of the law should be applied against Gibbons, calling the incident part of a broader Western "plot" against Islam.

Northern Sudan's legal system is based on Islam's Sharia law, which harshly punishes blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Any depiction of the prophet is forbidden in Islam, for fear it would provoke idolatry. Caricatures of Muhammad in some European media last year sparked riots in several Muslim countries.

UPDATE:Via HA, an American Muslim group speaks out against the fabricated outrage and criminal sanction pending against the teacher in Sudan:

Earlier today, the Sudanese government charged Gillian Gibbons, a teacher at Unity High School in Khartoum, with insulting religion and inciting hatred for naming a class teddy bear "Muhammad." She faces up to 40 lashes and six months in prison.

“The sad legacy of the Danish cartoon riots is that we have to speak out immediately when extremists try to provoke clashes over trivial matters,” Weddady explained. “This is not about cultural sensitivities. There is no excuse for someone to be sent to jail and whipped over a teddy bear’s name. Ms. Gibbons needs to be freed at once.”

Jana El-Horr, a Peacebuilding Fellow with the American Islamic Congress, noted that the Sudanese regime is trying to distract attention from the ongoing genocide in Darfur. “Muslims around the world are horrified over the brutal killings in Darfur,” El-Horr explained. “Now the Sudanese regime is trying to rally support by putting on the ‘defender of Islam’ hat. But we won’t be fooled.”

There's a reason that public perceptions of Muslims is on the decline. It's because the Islamists justify their slaughter of civilians on a wide scale by claiming it is inherent in their religious views and anyone who disagrees, especially if you're a Muslim, is worthy of death.

More groups like this one have to speak out against Sudan and other Islamists who seek to inflict violence against those who do not adhere to their brand of Islam.

UPDATE:
Lest this be ignored, Ms. Gibbons wasn't the one who named the teddy bear Mohammed. Her students did. She's being prosecuted for the acts of her students, who themselves thought nothing wrong with naming the bear after Mohammed.