Muslims back 'teddy' teacher
29/11/2007 20:33  - (SA)  

Want to know more? Answerit can help.

'Teddy' teacher appears British teacher 'must pay' Teddy bear trips up teacher Sudan questions British teacher Briton held for 'insulting Islam'

London - British Muslims have voiced support for teacher Gillian Gibbons, 54, who is facing charges in Sudan that she insulted Islam and incited hatred by allowing her class to name a teddy bear Mohammad.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) called it a disgraceful decision that defied common sense.

"There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith," said Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary-general of the MCB, Britain's largest Muslim organisation.

"The children in Gibbons' class and their parents have all testified as to her innocence in this matter. We call upon the Sudanese President, Umar al-Bashir, to intervene in this case without delay to ensure that the teacher is freed from this quite shameful ordeal."

"Not worthy of arrest"

The Ramadhan Foundation urged the Sudanese authorities to immediately release Gillian Gibbons "as she had not set out deliberately to offend or demonise Islam and Muslims," said Mohammed Shafiq of the Muslim youth organisation.

"This matter is not worthy of arrest or detention and her continued detention will not help repair the misconceptions about Islam.

"Like migrants coming to this country have to learn English, our values and customs, it is imperative that British citizens learn the values, customs and beliefs of their adopted country.

"The usual suspects are using this to demonise and attack Islam; this is wrong and is racism and prejudice of its worse sort."

The British Muslims for Secular Democracy appealed to the Sudanese government "to review their decision to take legal proceedings against Gibbons and remember that millions of British non-Muslims show deep respect towards the Islamic faith and live harmoniously with its followers in the UK," said Dr Shaaz Mahboob.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association said "This was clearly an innocent mistake from a teacher who was trying her utmost to teach the young children under her charge,"

The association is an international group that advocates understanding among different faiths.

What is this? Yahoo Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance
	News24 Headlines on your Facebook profile		News24 on mobile