
such as, calling a pet 'muhammed'. i'm not too sure on all this though, so feel free to attack my embassy.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 10:56,
archived)

they are upset because it is forbidden to make an image of the prophet Muhammed (pbuh). But what they have failed to grasp is that the bear isn't being called a/the prophet... Personally I think that someone just wanted to cause a fuss an thought that this bear woud be as good a reason as any.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:03,
archived)

she should be allowed to do that anyway.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:10,
archived)

I mean, if someone named their dog Jesus, most people in the western world would think he's named after the Christian Jesus. But then again, there are hardly any other Jesuses (Jesi?) in our culture - we just don't use the name for anything else. While it's an incredibly common name in Islamic culture. So where is the line? Mohammed Ali changes his name to that due to converting to Islam, someone names their cat Mohammed because he fights a lot, is this still offensive?
Also, that picture is bloody funny, thank you :)
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:13,
archived)
Also, that picture is bloody funny, thank you :)

in recent years, islam has become lot worse in comparison with christianity in being able to take a joke. this wasnt always the case and probably reflect the authority each religion has in different states
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:17,
archived)

that in many countries, the religion IS the state.
t'would be great to have the same happen with church of england. really WOULD be "tea and cake or death" :)
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:21,
archived)
t'would be great to have the same happen with church of england. really WOULD be "tea and cake or death" :)

but here, i suppose it'd be more like calling your dog chris
which still sounds a bit weird. not really a dog name...
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:32,
archived)
which still sounds a bit weird. not really a dog name...

Maybe the authorities should have explained that to the seven-year-old children who chose the name.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:07,
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could someone please explain what all this bear business is about?
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 10:56,
archived)

and good morning
/edit: I feel it's safe to say the world hasn't gone less mad during my absence
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:00,
archived)
/edit: I feel it's safe to say the world hasn't gone less mad during my absence

it may be against what we consider acceptable behaviour to jail her for something that we consider inoffensive. but she is an idiot for calling a teddy bear muhammed. what did she think was going to happen? i have no sympathy.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:01,
archived)

and she said "No you, can't do that because I will go to jail, get 40 lashes and quite possibly my tits cut off"
and the kids said "Let us call it Mohammed or we'll tell the press you let us call it Mohammed"*
* may contain elements of madeupness
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:04,
archived)
and the kids said "Let us call it Mohammed or we'll tell the press you let us call it Mohammed"*
* may contain elements of madeupness

perhaps if the parents had instilled into their darling little ones that it was against their culture to take that name in vain in such a way, they wouldn't had suggested it in the first place.
Granted, she perhaps should have been given more guidance directly on what was/wasn't acceptable in that system, but she isn't of that culture, and doesn't have first hand experience of it. The children decided on the name, and voted for it, the teacher was teaching them about voting systems and benefits of it, what sort of example would it have set if a majority voted on the name and she said 'no, you can't call it that because of X, Y and Z'
As a teacher, her first concern is the education of the children, not of religious overtones.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:05,
archived)
Granted, she perhaps should have been given more guidance directly on what was/wasn't acceptable in that system, but she isn't of that culture, and doesn't have first hand experience of it. The children decided on the name, and voted for it, the teacher was teaching them about voting systems and benefits of it, what sort of example would it have set if a majority voted on the name and she said 'no, you can't call it that because of X, Y and Z'
As a teacher, her first concern is the education of the children, not of religious overtones.

... is that the exercise of democracy will result in prison.
Pretty much a win for the authorities there then :)
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:14,
archived)
Pretty much a win for the authorities there then :)

so all voted on it, knowing that they'd shut the school until January - canny young buggers!
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:16,
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just like you can't go calling your dog nigger like they did in the Dambusters. now, if you're going to offend anybody, common sense should tell you that some people are going to get upset and the muslim country that were paying her wages were going to take it badly. she lives in their country, she has to know this stuff. she is still an idiot.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:17,
archived)

"Sooo...you refuse to call the bear Mohammed - what is wrong with the name Mohammed? You will die!"
"Sooo...you have called the bear Mohammed. You will die!"
this is why I never became a teacher, you can't win
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:19,
archived)
"Sooo...you have called the bear Mohammed. You will die!"
this is why I never became a teacher, you can't win

"so, you refuse to call a bear mohammed. Why?"
"well, to do so would cause great offence to the country in which i live and the people who so kindly welcomed me to the land"
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:22,
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"well, to do so would cause great offence to the country in which i live and the people who so kindly welcomed me to the land"

mohammed's a shit name for a bear anyway
they should have called it Brian
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:26,
archived)
they should have called it Brian

it has nothing to do with, or be any part of, teaching kids, who named the bear themselves.
other muslim teachers - some born and bred in that culture - knew what she was doing with the class, and had NO objections, and did not see it a viable matter to warn her against it.
If her muslim colleagues don't think it a matter viable enough to warn her against it, and they also teach muslim children, then why should this woman, regardless of culture, be made a scapegoat?
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:22,
archived)
other muslim teachers - some born and bred in that culture - knew what she was doing with the class, and had NO objections, and did not see it a viable matter to warn her against it.
If her muslim colleagues don't think it a matter viable enough to warn her against it, and they also teach muslim children, then why should this woman, regardless of culture, be made a scapegoat?

as she is in charge of the children and should be able to at least tell them that it's a bad idea as it is insulting to their religion.
there are more than enough christians in this country, for instance, that would be pissed off if a teacher called the school's pet Jesus, we just wouldn't sentence her to corporal punsihment.
i think it's extreme, don't get me wrong, but with the best will in the world anyone who is savvy enough to be a teacher must know that this is a bad idea?
i'm not the sharpest, but i know full well that certain muslim countries are a little bit testy about that sort of thing and have more strict punishments than we do.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:27,
archived)
there are more than enough christians in this country, for instance, that would be pissed off if a teacher called the school's pet Jesus, we just wouldn't sentence her to corporal punsihment.
i think it's extreme, don't get me wrong, but with the best will in the world anyone who is savvy enough to be a teacher must know that this is a bad idea?
i'm not the sharpest, but i know full well that certain muslim countries are a little bit testy about that sort of thing and have more strict punishments than we do.

It is not her job to explain their religion to them, it is her job to teach them skills they need at such a young age to progress. I daresay the school would have a muslim to teach them about religion, as it would seem odd to put a british woman in to teach 6-7 year olds about their own religion, I feel that the parents would have been more upset at that.
If other muslim colleagues knew what was going on, and felt it ok, what was she to do? She was being guided and agreed with in her teaching methods by muslim colleagues.
Who's to say that there wasn't a popular kid in class called Muhammed who the kids thought the bear reminded them of?
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:32,
archived)
If other muslim colleagues knew what was going on, and felt it ok, what was she to do? She was being guided and agreed with in her teaching methods by muslim colleagues.
Who's to say that there wasn't a popular kid in class called Muhammed who the kids thought the bear reminded them of?

you have to have an understanding of religion, even if it's just so you can decide not to belive in any particular god. there is nothing wrong with being sensitive to a person's beliefs or culture when you are in their country or home.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:46,
archived)

she's in a lose-lose scenario with the kids and the muslim faith over it. Have an appreciation, yes, but it's not her call to dictate it in class
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:50,
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that she's being made a scapegoat in order to be used as a pawn in the Muslim Sudanese government's continuing campaign against Christianity in the South of the country (as in Darfur, etc.).
Bit of a Reichstag situation, really: "We want to get the Jews!" "But they've done nothing wrong." "Oh, bollocks... er... oi, Moishe, can you just hold this box of matches for me?"
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 20:57,
archived)
Bit of a Reichstag situation, really: "We want to get the Jews!" "But they've done nothing wrong." "Oh, bollocks... er... oi, Moishe, can you just hold this box of matches for me?"

that Mrs Gibbons assumed that the (mainly Muslim?) kids were more aware of what was acceptable in their own culture than she was (as an outsider). That might make her naive, but not an idiot.
And since at the time no objections were raised, it does look as though someone has stirred things up for some reason.
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:33,
archived)
And since at the time no objections were raised, it does look as though someone has stirred things up for some reason.

I hope none of the girls got to vote either.
okay maybe less true in the last couple of years
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:43,
archived)
okay maybe less true in the last couple of years

It was the kids in her class - 23 out of 25 of them or something like that. The other teachers, some of whom are muslim, didn't have a problem with the name and were impressed that she had managed to get the children to vote.
Plus the name had been in place for a while before anyone complained. Pretty much all of the parents knew and thought it was fine as well.
Then there is the whole business of people calling their kids Muhammed. Why is that not as insulting?
( ,
Tue 27 Nov 2007, 11:06,
archived)
Plus the name had been in place for a while before anyone complained. Pretty much all of the parents knew and thought it was fine as well.
Then there is the whole business of people calling their kids Muhammed. Why is that not as insulting?