The International Schools Review Forum

I'm an foreign teacher in an Islamic country. The story about Gillian Gibbons, who was convicted of insulting religion because she allowed her students to name their teddy bear "Mohamed," is VERY disturbing. Consider that the name Mohamed is a name as common as Josh or Steve. The IT guy at my school is named Mohamed, as is the caretaker at my apartment building, both of the taxi drivers I usually call when I need a ride, one member of the teaching staff, and two of my students. One of my students goes by the nicname of "Momo." Am I insulting religion by allowing my students to use that nicname in place of "Mohamed"?

Is there is a conspiracy of silence in the international school community about the volatility of the Islamic world and what that means for teachers? With my heavy teaching load, I haven't made a lot of progress with Arabic language study, but one doesn't need fluency to register the angry hostility of ranting and raving that is broadcast from loudspeakers at the mosque at every Friday sermon. Our teacher housing is right next door to a mosque, and it is absolutely horrifying to me. At the same time there is a facade of modernization and casual attitudes that can lull one into relaxing one's behavior. Incidents like the current affair in Sudan should be a wake-up call. I just don't understand the absence of protest and response. Robert Bolous, the director of Unity School where this all took place, has refused to appeal the sentence. What message does that leave?

Just imagine calling fluffy little Ted 'Jesus' in the mid west. I wonder what the response would be.

I thought of that. A truer comparison would be a "Teodoro-Jesus" in a Mexican community, where the name "Jesus" is commonly used just as "Mohammed" is used here. Would Mexicans rally for the teacher's punishment if somebody named a Teddy Bear "Jesus"? I really don't think so. Anyhow, I am as politically correct as the next guy - campaigned for Nader and the Green .! But living in the Middle East raises issues that go deeper than political stripe.

Unfortunately today, as reported on news sources, there were large protests in Khartoum asking for execution of Gillian and the government moved her from the women's prison to an undisclosed location for her safety.

There were a number of teachers from Gillian's school in Sudan on a TES forum yesterday but they do not seem to be on there today. Am wondering if they have all left the country for their own safety. Yesterday they reported that it was a secretary at their school who pressed charges against Gillian and started this whole thing. The teachers were very angry. This woman allegedly was the witness against Gillian at the trial yesterday. It was for revenge for something quite trivial and her fellow teachers all stated Gillian is a wonderful teacher and person and would never do anything to hurt anyone. Let's hope they get this straightened out post haste. Wish they would just deport her right now........which they may have already done. Who knows?l

Ridiculous this incident, so much for a piecefull religion...!

I am glad that this issue has been resolved by the Sudanese authorities. Now they can get back to killing all of those people in Darfur. Surely this is more than one effective to offend Islam. I wonder why people in the Islamic world aren't protesting that instead of Teddy Bears.