BBC: Teddy Bear Teacher “pardoned”

3 December 2007

The BBC has just reported that the British teacher at the centre of the Mohammed-named-teddy stupidity, Gillian Gibbons, has been pardoned by the Sudanese president al-Bashir after a meeting with two British muslim peers.

While I’m sure this will be seen in some circles (e.g. those of an islamic and/or political bent) as the Sudanese government being magnanimous, we shouldn’t forget that there wasn’t any crime in the first place.

Just because some muslims are so hyper-sensitive and thin-skinned — so much so that I’m surprised that their internal organs don’t spill onto the floor — that they take offence at the drop of a kufie, it doesn’t mean that us non-muslims should censor ourselves to pander to their insecurities, respect their beliefs or treat their fairy-tales as a reflection of reality. And the same goes for all other unproven myth-believers.

Gibbons has been pardoned, but she shouldn’t have been arrested and, most certainly not convicted, at all.

Now, al-Bashir, sort out the rest of that fucking mess of a country of yours, especially Darfur.

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Tags: Africa, BBC News, fundamentalism, I demand respect!, islam, legal, Mohammed, news, superstition, The Stupid It Burns, UK

Comments

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4044 Responses2007-12-03+09%3A29%3A47nullifidian to “BBC: Teddy Bear Teacher “pardoned””

the chaplain on December 3rd, 2007 2:43 pm

The need for a pardon was ridiculous, but it’s the right result for what the situation had deteriorated to be. You’re absolutely correct in saying that the charge, arrest and conviction were totally outrageous.
nullifidian on December 3rd, 2007 8:16 pm

You’re absolutely right, TC, this is the best outcome that we could have hoped for, and for their efforts, I’m grateful to the two peers. I thought I’d left something in to this effect, but I re-wrote parts of this a couple of times and must have removed it.
The Exterminator on December 3rd, 2007 8:48 pm

Actually, there was a crime committed, at least as far as “crime” is defined in certain laws governing Sudan.

It’s the entire legal system — and all legal systems — that should be criticized, not only this particular instance. All laws everywhere should be examined to see if they have any real civic purpose, or whether they merely forward a religious agenda.
nullifidian on December 4th, 2007 3:24 pm

@TE

I disagree. The crime, as defined by Sudanese law, was of blasphemy and insulting religion. However, if we assume for a moment that the law was legitimate, it was still not a law broken by this teacher. Nevertheless, she was arrested, charged, tried and found guilty, even though she hadn’t actually committed any crime.

And I agree, all legal systems should be criticised, including, and perhaps especially as far as I’m concerned, our own.