26/11/2007

British Teacher Arrested In Sudan Over 'Muhammad' Teddy

A British school teacher has been arrested in Sudan for allowing pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool was arrested on Sunday, accused of insulting the Islamic Prophet.

Ms Gibbons had allowed her class of seven-year-olds at the Unity High School in central Khartoum to name the bear as part of a school project.

She was arrested under article 125 of the Sudanese criminal law, which covers insults against faith and religion.

A spokesperson for the British Embassy in Khartoum said that Ms Gibbons, who joined the school in August, had asked the children to come up with names for the bear and they chose eight names, including Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad. They then voted on the choices and Muhammad was chosen as the favourite name.

The spokesperson said that this happened a couple of months and said that the children had chosen the name because it was common in the country.

The embassy spokesperson confirmed that officials had visited Ms Gibbons and said that she was in a good condition.

(KMcA)


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