Teddy bears = evil

I read the news every day. It’s part of my gig–teaching journalism. So, one follows the other.

Normally I steer clear of political blog entanglements. There are thousands of alternative blogs that argue far more persuasive cases than I can usually muster. Still, there can come a story that stabs my ire enough to respond.

Are you following this whole Sudanese Teddy bear scandal?

In case not, a woman recently moved from her home in the UK to Sudan, so that she could teach and help children. As a teaching tool, she decided to bring in a Teddy bear to teach the children about animals, their habits and their habitats. The idea was that the children could take turns taking the bear home and writing down his activities in a little journal.

Kind of cute; kind of fun.

She decided the bear should have a name, and she asked the children to name the bear.

The children picked Muhammad.

Why? We don’t know, it’s what the children wanted. We can perhaps surmise why due to the fact that it is argued to be the most popular name in the world, when including its 14 different spellings. It’s so prevalent in Muslim countries that men are referred to as “Muhammad” when their real names aren’t known–sort of like a general “that guy” reference. Thus, it probably was on the children’s minds. And why not?

The teacher went with it, put the bear’s name on a little journal that the children would take home, and continued teaching.

Some Sudanese parents saw the journal, reported her, and she was arrested and convicted of blasphemy and inciting hatred. A sentence for crimes of that caliber can carry with it a year’s prison term and 40 lashes, though after cooler heads started to intervene, the more serious “inciting hatred” charge was dropped, and the sentence whittled down to 15 days.

The big poke in the eye, apparently, is that it is a serious offense to name something unworthy after the Prophet. Okay, I understand that. I can see how, in Western countries, if people started naming their kids or dogs or cars “God” or “the Christ”, it could create a few raised eyebrows.

The schism from rational thought, however, is in the fact that these Western countries wouldn’t throw people in jail or lash them in public.

The response from some reported 1,000 Sudanese people who came running out of Mosques after Friday’s prayers, (where none of that “inciting hatred” was taking place, I’m sure) was for men to wave swords and sticks, chanting that “By soul, by blood, I will fight for the Prophet Muhammad.” Moreover, some began calling for the teacher’s execution, claiming that she was polluting the children’s minds and that she was an “infidel.”

Really? Kill her? Burn the world to the ground? A Teddy bear is cause for jihad?

Now, Danish political cartoons that insult the Prophet (remember that?)? I can understand why millions need to be slaughtered for that (editor’s note: sarcasm). But, really, the Teddy bear?

If memory serves, the children named the thing. Why aren’t they on trial for blasphemy? Why aren’t their heads being carved off and paraded around? They’re Muslims, they need to be aware at how world-ending this decision of theirs was.

The whole thing just blows my damn mind. I hope and pray officials can get this woman out of Sudan before mobs dismember the 54-year old and bathe in her blood to avenge the monumental insult.

How about we get another Teddy bear and name it “Jesus Christ”? I promise I won’t organize a movement to murder any Sudanese. In fact, I’ll buy the bear and embroider the name on it myself if it would save lives.

Yikes, forgive much?

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~ by salemonz on December 1, 2007.