Out Of Proportion?

In a country where armed men kill women and children and raze entire villages, the act of recognizing children who wished to name a teddy bear Mohammed somehow manages to provoke street protests.

Stupid isn't it?

But let's examine the NY Times coverage of the event, because there we will find more stupidity.

Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied Friday in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear ''Muhammad.''

Hmmm... So the teacher is convicted for "allowing" her apparently Muslim students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. So apparently the parents of these children have not been instructing their children on the proper etiquette as it relates to the usage of the word Muhammad. I suppose that the "courts" there are not holding the parents responsible for that either.

''Shame, shame on the U.K.,'' protesters chanted.



They called for Gibbons' execution, saying, ''No tolerance: Execution,'' and ''Kill her, kill her by firing squad.''

Shame on the U.K.? Was this lady an agent of the state?

"No tolerance?" I see. In the grand scheme of things it is better to tolerate the killing of Muslims by other Muslims but not tolerable to name a teddy bear one of the most common names in the Muslim world. I get it.

Many protesters carried clubs, knives and axes -- but not automatic weapons, which some have brandished at past government-condoned demonstrations. That suggested Friday's rally was not organized by the government.

Again, and to belabor the point. People are willing to kill this lady but killing in darfur? Not to much.

A Muslim cleric at Khartoum's main Martyrs Mosque denounced Gibbons during one sermon, saying she intentionally insulted Islam. He did not call for protests, however.



''Imprisoning this lady does not satisfy the thirst of Muslims in Sudan. But we welcome imprisonment and expulsion,'' the cleric, Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karouri, a well-known hard-liner, told worshippers.

How exactly did she "intentionally insult Islam?" By allowing students to pick a common Muslim name for a teddy bear. If anything it was the students who insulted Islam and this lady was guilty of possibly being ignorant of what the children were doing. Notice how a parent could have easily came to the school and said that naming a teddy bear Muhammad is not a good idea. But noooooo. better to take her to court while killing is still going on in Darfur. Oh and exactly what is this "thirst" this fellow is speaking of? Certainly does not sound like Salaam to me.

''This an arrogant woman who came to our country, cashing her salary in dollars, teaching our children hatred of our Prophet Muhammad,'' he said.

Why would a Brit cash her salary in Dollars? Seriously. I mean if I had the option of being paid in Dollars, Euros or Pounds, I would not be picking the Dollar. Less prayer more current event reading. And again, ummm, it was the children's idea to name the teddy bear Muhammad.

Britain, meanwhile, pursued diplomatic moves to free Gibbons. Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke with a member of her family to convey his regret, his spokeswoman said.

While I'm not one to tell the Brits what to do diplomatically and I'm sure they are trying not to make a bad situation worse for Ms. Gibbons, I personally wouldn't be apologizing to anyone over this. Furthermore; I would take to the international stage and constantly discuss what is going on in Darfur. Everytime a microphone was pointed in my direction I would say:

"Isn't it ashame that the government in Sudan and apparently a section of it's population are far more concerned with the name of an inanimate object named by children than with the atrocities going on in Darfur. You would think that the government in Sudan and all the people in Sudan would be far more concerned with Muslims who are slaughtering other Muslims and attacking peacekeepers."

But that's just me.

''One of the good things is the U.K. Muslims who've condemned the charge as completely out of proportion,'' said Paul Wishart, 37, a student in London.

No, it's not out of proportion, it's bloody well OUT OF ORDER!

The Ramadhan Foundation, a Muslim youth organization, said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir should pardon the teacher.

Pardon? For what? There is no crime here. Nothing to pardon. The record needs to be expunged and Ms. Gibbons ought to be apologized TO.