http://www.breitbart.com/...
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - 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."
The teacher in question, Gillian Gibbons has been sentenced to 15 days in prison instead. But she brought this down upon herself for showing great insensitivity towards the religion of Islam, despite how we progressives feel about the reaction from over there.
Before we judge the Sudanese as barbaric, I call on all progressives to show patience and understanding towards their culture.
It's a small world, after all.
There are many reasons why the teacher's actions here cannot be justified or swept under the rug:
Slavery
Colonialism
Sexism
Homophobia
Racism
These are all the products of a European past and culture. By so cavalierly naming a teddy bear after the Prophet of Islam, Ms. Gibbons showed great insensitivity. I think that the Sudanese reaction here is showing great restraint here--how many more death threats against atheist folk, LGBT, Muslims and progressives by the Religious Reich have been done? Far more. Case in point:
Islam is far more tolerant than Christianity. Compare to the condition of jews in Moorish Spain prior to the Reconquista. The Inquisition was committed by Christians--not Muslims.
We here in America and the West could become more tolerant of Muslims and allow them to immigrate more so that we can establish a dialogue of unity, multiculturalism, peace and respect.
Before Westerners thumb their noses at Sudanese Muslims, they should take the blot out of their own eyes.
EDIT: The Teddy bear story is a culmination of insensitivity accumulated through centuries of mistreatment starting with the Crusades. The Sudan people are making a symbol of this Teddy Bear and finally are standing up for themselves. They've drawn a line - GOOD FOR THEM! I hope they get their point across and win their well deserved equal liberties.
When you hit at the culture of a people with as much disrespect as this teacher has done, you hit at the very core of how these poor people define themselves. They don't have much, the Europeans left them with next to nothing, and yet still this Brit teacher will come and take what little they have left. She should have received her FULL JAIL term although I admit execution seems to be a 'little extreme'.