A Teddy Bear Named Mohammed

I was disturbed and disappointed when I heard the news that Gillian Gibbons, a Briton who had been teaching in Sudan since last summer, was convicted of blasphemy when she allowed her class to name the class teddy bear "Mohammed." As an atheist, I personally would not be offended if someone were to name a stuffed animal Mohammed, Jesus, Buddha, Zeus, etc. It's only a name. Religion seems archaic and obsolete to me.

I do not know the woman, but I think that she had no intention of offending Sudanese religious zealots. I don't think that she had been in Sudan long enough to understand the controversy behind naming the class teddy bear after the Muslim prophet. Madonna certainly was right on when she sang "Ignorance is not bliss" in her song "In this Life." Furthermore, it was the class that decided upon the name. The teacher allowed it for she did not know. Knowing how mischievous children can be, I wouldn't be surprised if they chose that name just to get their teacher in trouble. Why wasn't that issue mentioned?

Gibbons was sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation back to the U.K. It could have been worse, but it's still not right. I am grateful to be living in a country where there's a separation between church and state. I say that the only thing that she did wrong was go to Sudan. I enjoy travelling, but there are parts of the world that I would avoid like the plague. I would not want to set foot in primitive, poor countries. Perhaps starvation stupifies people.