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.

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving and I've been thinking about all the things that I have to be thankful for. I believe that everybody should have something to be thankful for. At the very least, one can be thankful for being alive. One can be thankful for his life.

Fortunately, I have much more to be thankful for. For starters, I am thankful that I have the bare necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. I know that there are many people in this world who do not have any of those things. It's tragic that there are people who don't have access to one or more of those basic needs.

Aside from those things, I am thankful that to be home and not risking my life in a foreign country. I am thankful that I'm a civilian and not fired upon. I am thankful to be able to live my life and not dying for what I don't believe in. I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to further my education. I am thankful that I will be able to pursue my goal of becoming an optometrist. Thankful that I have the ability and ambition to do so. I'm thankful that I'm living in a country where I can become the best that I could possibly be. It certainly is a blessing.

I'm also thankful that I have my health, family, and friends. I believe that health, family, and education are among the most important things in life. To those of you who aren't thankful for anything, I suggest that you think again.