Sudan President Pardons Teddy Bear Infidel
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Sudan’s president on Monday agreed to pardon a British teacher jailed after letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad, and officials said she would be released and would fly back to England later in the day.
Lord Nazir Ahmed and another Muslim representative from Britain’s House of Lords, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Monday at his presidential palace to plead for Gillian Gibbons’ pardon.
“The president has told us he has already signed the papers for her pardon,” Ahmed told reporters afterward.
Sudanese presidential spokesman Mahzoub Faidul told The Associated Press that Gibbons would “be released today and will fly back to England today.”
Gibbons had been sentenced Thursday to 15 days in prison and deportation for insulting Islam because her students gave the teddy bear the same name as Islam’s revered prophet—a violation under Sudan’s Islamic Sharia law.
The case inflamed passions among many in Sudan, where demonstrators called for her to be put to death.
In a written statement released by the presidential palace and read by Warsi to reporters, 54-year-old Gibbons said she was sorry if she caused any “distress.”
“I have a great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone,” Gibbons said in the statement. “I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but I am very sorry that I will be unable to return to Sudan.”
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the news, saying that “common sense has prevailed.”
“She will be released into the care of our embassy in Khartoum after what must have been a difficult ordeal,” Brown said in a statement released by his office.
News of the pardon also was welcomed by the spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain.
“Gillian should never have been arrested in the first place, let alone held in jail. She had done nothing wrong,” Inayat Bunglawala said.
Sudan’s ambassador in London, Khalid al-Mubarak, said he was “overjoyed” by the news.
“She is a teacher who went to teach our children English and she has helped a great deal and I am very grateful,” al-Mubarak said. “What has happened was a cultural misunderstanding, a minor one, and I hope she, her family and the British people won’t be affected by what has happened.”
Demonstrations in Khartoum on Friday, in which some participants called for Gibbons’ execution, “were an argument from the fringe,” al- Mubarak said.
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What the hell is she apologizing for??? She did NOTHING wrong, and she should not feel as though she did. I wish her luck, and I hope she gets out soon.
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:09 ammindy, she is being a good dhimmi. She offers the same words that dhimmis do when they are being wronged by islam : “I have great respect for islam”. doubtful she really knows much about Islam at all. Most dhimmis dont, they just pay lip service to muslims and islam and attrempt to stay in their good graces never questioning even the most ridiculous precepts.
Good girl! woof, woof
It would be nice to see her stand up and demand compensation or some other recourse for the injustice done to her for allegedly insulting a dead pervert.
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:16 amAnother sorry ass satisfying her self imposed whitey guilt trip–”If we could only talk to them”–”they don’t understand” “”it’s for the children” bull shit– almost caught up with her ass this time.
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:24 amOdds on, the she’s back there within a year, with the standard, “they just didn’t understand.”
TJ,
Trust me, if you live in a Muslim country for any length of time you know about Islam, they make sure of it. She simply didn’t know the nuances of religious etiquette. Just change the name to Teddy Ali. Compromise people.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:43 amDear Mrs. Gibbons:
The Arabian Devil is loose! Run! Run! Run for your life! Ruuun!!
(apologies to Taz)
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:15 pm