Briton held over Muhammad bear
UK teacher arrested in Sudan after reportedly allowing pupils to name a teddy-bear Muhammad
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Monday, 26, Nov 2007 08:04
A British teacher has been detained by police in Sudan after reportedly letting her pupils name a classroom teddy-bear Muhammad.
The teacher, named as 54-year-old Gillian Gibbons from Liverpool, is being held in Khartoum after a colleague apparently complained over the naming of the bear.
Muhammad is a common given name in the Muslim world, but any attempts to make images of the prophet are strictly forbidden.
According to reports Ms Gibbons could face six months in prison or 40 lashes if she is charged and subsequently found guilty of any offence.
A spokeswoman at the Foreign Office confirmed that the teacher was being held in the Sudanese capital.
"We can confirm a British national was arrested by police in Sudan yesterday," she said.
"We are providing consular assistance."
According to reports citing the British Embassy in Khartoum, Ms Gibbons, who teaches a class of six and seven-year-olds, has had her prison surrounded by people upset at the alleged naming of the bear.