The Sudanese Teddy Bear Saga

The real insult to Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the idiotic eruption of mass hysteria among Muslims that is fed by the imbecile, irrational, and uncontrolled rhetoric of bearded men, reeking of batshit, and issuing fatwires from the confines of remote caves.

{"The day Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir decided to overturn a court ruling convicting Gillian Gibbons for insulting the Prophet Mohammad, he heralded a rare victory for progressive, moderate Islam"}

Siddiqi Sahib,
Good article and I mostly agree with your sentiment. However, the day irresponsible "Muslim" authorities and self-styled spokesman start behaving like rational, educated human beings, the world will start respecting Muslims and Islam.

Re: # 69

It is illegal to kill a lot of wild animals as well, dear!!!

Salman Khan got 5 years RI for killing a chinkara.

Surely , he did not get stoning to death for it!!

Modern civilization considers human life most precious- something that Islam does not realize at all and that is why it is rightly considered as a cult of death and blood thirsty Allah!!

my question was suppose to be is it illegal ANYWHERE? if so why?

Stuka, Is it illegal by law of the land to slaughter cow in india? If yes how fuckin retarded is it...n if it werent for the majority would it be possible...my argument is not whether it is RIGHT to give the majority a right to legislate what they deem appropriate for their society...i m saying thats what democracy is..once u cut the bullshit of equal rights n shit for minorities...patriot act is law not because its fair for all citizens ..its cause thats what the majority wants

Let me start by saying that the mullah's in their efforts to discredit Islam, to provide fodder to the enemies of Islam, and to waste time and brain cells over nonsense, never cease to amaze me. That said, let me address the hypocrisy of the two morons here who post quite often:

Hamid writes "The dedicated British teacher -- who took upon herself the self-torture and self-punishment to leave the comforts of a civilized society to go to this wild savage Godforsaken place called Sudan to teach the Mohammed-Worshipping barbarians -- how to read and write and teach their children how to show affection to Mohammed in a civilized way.-- ends up meeting this kind of cruel barbaric indignity."

Muslims have had a long history of dealing with just such "self righteous" people who leave their "civilized" socieities, following occupation armies to convert and civilize the heathen and insult their culture and religion. If after such a history certain "indigineous" people become over reactive, it is understood. That their ill placed reaction is then used by the mainstream media of the higher barbarians to justify their farce of the war on terror and the face of their constructed enemy is a much bigger outrage than the idiotic reaction of the Sudanese authorities (in this case).

Kulharee writes "No one in a Catholic country would ask for someone’s neck for naming a stuffed monkey Jesus. "

Really, and that is what you feel too? Than why the reaction, calling my parents all kinds of names etc, from you when I called your (stuffed) wife (because of her size), Dumbo? Please explain this discepancy you miserable hypocrite...

Shouldn’t the Laws be people-neutral, e.g., if it is unlawful to name a teddy bear Mohammad, it should also be equally unlawful to name a teddy bear Larry, Curley, or Moe? The blasphemy laws are stupid and archaic. Why wasn’t Prophet Mohammad subject to the laws of the land when he lived in Mecca? A lot of what he preached and practiced was considered sacrilegious by the towns’ people. You can’t have it my way or the highway all the time. The guy is dead. Don’t drag his sacredness (if it’s that dear to you) thru this stupid mud. Pick up some other cause to show your thin-skin. It is getting ridiculous now.

Hamid Saab, Prophet Mohammad would have lived in no place other than New York City.

Re: # 65

urstruly,

" Since Zia every government in paksitan has openly rebelled against the commandments of God and did nothing to legislate shriah completely into the penal and civil code hence the misery that we suffer today as a punishment. "

...... so, is that why you choose to live in flint, michigan ?....... i like your form of protest - i am sure god is pleased with you as well ......... you mardoodites are a bunch of munafiqs ..... laholaywalaquwat!

... by the way, thanks for pointing out that i still have three chances left to recant and save my head from being severed from my body by some god-crazed mullah looking to get into heaven so that he can hump horny houris ...

Re: # 62

Its a chiken or egg question. I think the establishment of Shria turns a politey into an Islamic state. Both go hand in hand. I am not much familiar with the Sudanese Law but Pakistan is a shameful example of what should not be done. It has two laws running in parallel - one law is based on English Common Law and the other is some of the Islamic laws imposed by Zia ul Haq in parallel. This is not only travesty of justice but an open mutiny against God also. The idea during the time of Zia was that since judges and lawyers were not trained according to the shraiah law and also the law itself had not been legislated yet therefore Islamic law would be introduced gradually. Since Zia every government in paksitan has openly rebelled against the commandments of God and did nothing to legislate shriah completely into the penal and civil code hence the misery that we suffer today as a punishment.

Re: #63

We're talking from a hypothetical view that she knowingly and deliberately set out out to insult the Prophet Mohammad. If that had been the case, then Yes, she would be subject to the Law of the Land. If that Law called for stoning, hey, thats the way the cookie crumbles. Lesson learnt for all future deliberate blasphemers. Thanks for appreciating my logic by the way. big of you.

Re: # 59

"but people establish laws to suit their own personal belief systems and a mark of civilized society is to comply with local laws, even if you don't agre with them (when in rome...)"

Howsoever barbaric they may be.......so she get stoned to death because her law of land calls for stoning!! Nice logic!!

#60: You yourself have said in the past that Sharia can only be imposed in a "truly Islamic society". Is Sudan a "Truly Islamic" society? If not, should Sharia be even applicable?

truly ji,

thanku . I would look forward to see the Islamic justice in action now!!

Re: # 58

#55 answers your question. Accroding to all 5 schools of jurisprudence of Islamic law, the maximum punishment for blasmphemy is death, but that is the ultimate and it is only given to those who refuse to recant and are repeat offenders. There is a minor difference among these schools; for example Hanfi school of thought gives unlimited opportunities to recant to a repeat offender if he recants everytime. He is spared everytime. The Shaafii school provides 3 opportunities to recant. Some schools spre the offender any punishment whatsoever if he recants and some suggest confinement, fine, imrpisonment and or exile.

If you are interested to know about what Islamic Law of Blasphemy is about please read my article on it:

http://www.chowk.com/articles/5331

I hope that will answer all your questions in this regard.

If mens rea was to be established in this case (and it was clearly not) then the teacher would be subject to the laws of the land. those laws might seem archaic and barbaric to most of us in this case, but people establish laws to suit their own personal belief systems and a mark of civilized society is to comply with local laws, even if you don't agre with them (when in rome...)

there are many laws across the world which seem preposterous to me personally for example graffitti in singapore can get you flogged and having anal sex in alabama can get you 6 months in prison. Needless to say, if I'm in singapore, I wont be tagging any walls and if I'm in Alabama....

she wanted to disparage Mohammad then what you suggest people do?