Guilty Verdict in Sudan for British Teacher

Via NYTimes.com -

KHARTOUM, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A British teacher accused of insulting Muslims after her class called a teddy bear Mohammad was found guilty and jailed for 15 days, a defence lawyer said on Thursday.

Sudanese men read a newspaper with a picture of Gillian Gibbons, a British teacher.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, was ordered to be deported after she had completed her sentence.

"She was found guilty of insulting religion and the sentence is 15 days (in jail) and deportation," defence lawyer Ali Ajib said after the trial in a Khartoum courtroom, which lasted less than a day.

In London, the British Foreign Office said it was "extremely disappointed" with the verdict. "The Sudanese ambassador will be called in this evening to explain this decision," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

Robert Boulos, head of Unity high school where Gibbons worked, said: "We are happy with the verdict. It is fair. There were a lot of political pressures and attention."

He added: "We will be very sad to lose her."

Asked what he thought of the verdict, the head of Gibbons's defence team, Kamal al-Jazouli, said: "It was not bad."

Gibbons was charged on Wednesday with insulting Islam, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs because of the toy's name. Under Sudan's penal code, she could have faced 40 lashes, a fine, or up to one year in jail.

In court, judge Mohammed Youssef listened to two accounts -- one from school secretary Sarah Khawad, who filed the first complaint about the teddy bear's name, and one from the official who has been investigating the case, court sources said.

Teachers at the school say that calling the teddy bear Mohammad, the name of the prophet of Islam, was not her idea in the first place and that no parents objected when Unity High School sent parents circulars about a reading project which included the teddy bear as a fictional participant.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had earlier said in a statement "We believe this was an innocent misunderstanding."

Sudan has had poor relations with Britain, the United States and most European countries for several years, mainly because of their disagreements over how to handle the conflict in the Darfur region in western Sudan.

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I don't like Soapboxes, but I have one handy...so...

This verdict is very disappointing for those that believe in freedom of speech and well...pretty much freedom overall. The punishment isn't nearly as bad as it could have been and for that, I am thankful. I would like to say that first and foremost.

However, It is quite clear that the teacher was not directly insulting Islam, inciting hatred or showing contempt for religious beliefs. If she is guilty of anything, it is being too naive about a very controlling & corrupt Sudanese government.

In my view, the class most likely elected to use that name because it carries special meaning, positive meaning...it is a good name and it should not be used by the Sudanese government to push its own agenda. Islam is the religion of love, is it not?

Perhaps the government of Sudan should focus less on the innocent naming of a toy and focus more on the growing presence of al Qaeda training camps in the Darfur region and the whole genocide / crimes against humanity thing.

But I guess that isn't important...