With gift giving season just around the corner there comes a handy reminder from that ever thoughtful country, Sudan -- be careful what you name your
Teddy Bear.
A British teacher has been charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs --
for--
allowing her class of primary school pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.
Lawyers say she faces six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine if convicted.
40 LASHES!!??
Out of fear, I consulted a
list of ethnic slurs and have gone back this morning and renamed all of my teddy bears who were named Adolph, Ahab, Ann, Apple, Banana, Brownie, Egg, Eskimo, Flip, Fritz, Frog, Ivan, Jerry, Monkey, Nigel and Kid Yid. They're all on the list! Okay, Kid Yid isn't but it was my father's nickname as a kid -- come to think of it, Muhammad isn't on the list either, but the Sudanese Government must know what it's doing. I mean, look at how well they've handled Darfur and the accusations from
Human Rights Watch,
Amnesty International and so on down to my old childhood
Indian Guide group, Tribe White Man Dress Like American Indian Pals Forever So Now Let's All Go Eat At Sambo's.
Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher who let her class name a Teddy Bear, Muhammad, was sentenced to 15 days in prison. Sudanese protesters, however, took to the streets and demanded she be executed. That sounds about right. The Sudanese are very fair people.
