Angry protests over UK teacher
Sudanese authorities accuse UK teacher of inciting hatred after allowing pupils to name bear Muhammad
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Friday, 30, Nov 2007 03:44
Angry protests calling for the UK teacher who named a teddy bear Muhammad to be killed took place in Khartoum today.
Hundreds of Muslims took to the streets of Sudan's capital in the belief that Gillian Gibbons' 15-day jail sentence for insulting religion was too lenient.
They called for the 54-year-old to be killed, saying no one who has insulted the prophet Muhammad should live.
The protests took place outside the presidential palace after Friday morning prayers.
Britain's Foreign Office said last night that it is "extremely disappointed" by the verdict and is seeking the immediate release of the teacher.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said he believed the case was an "innocent misunderstanding".
Omer Siddig, the Sudanese ambassador, was called for an evening meeting yesterday and further contacts are expected today "in the search for a swift resolution of this issue".
Ms Gibbons could have received 40 lashings, six months in jail or a heavy fine.
She was convicted of one of three charges laid against her and faces deportation from Sudan back to the UK after her sentence is completed.
Ms Gibbons was first arrested on Sunday after a complaint was lodged at the Sudanese ministry of education.
Muhammad is a common given name in the Muslim world, but any attempts to make images of the prophet are strictly forbidden.
According to a Unity school pupil in Ms Gibbons' class of seven-year-olds the bear was named after a boy called Muhammad, not the Prophet.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said it is "appalled" by the decision to prosecute Ms Gibbons.
"This is a disgraceful decision and defies common sense," Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the MCB, commented.
"There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith. The children in Ms Gibbons' class and their parents have all testified as to her innocence in this matter."
Gordon Brown's spokesman said on Wednesday the prime minister was "surprised and disappointed" by the case's development.