Muhammad (Mohammed) the Teddy Bear and Blasphemy

The story has made international news headlines. Gillian Gibbons, a 54 year old teacher from Britain who went to Sudan to teach, has been arrested. Her crime? She allowed her 7 year old students in her class to name their stuffed teddy bear Muhammad (Mohammed).

What's more ludicrous is that she was sentenced to 15 days in prison and deportation. She faced up to six months in prison and 40 lashes. Even worse? People in Sudan are now in the streets calling for Gillian Gibbons to be executed .... over a stuffed teddy bear.

Ms. Gibbons has been moved from the women's prison she was being held at to a new secret location, in an attempt to protect her life. It's good that the government is at least trying to protect her, from them.

If the situation wasn't so horrible for Ms. Gibbons, it would be funny. The very idea of all of this is hard for most Americans to fathom. Being executed over a stuffed teddy bear name? Being flogged 40 times for allowing little children in a classroom to name a teddy bear Muhammad (Mohammed)? Facing six months in prison for it? Ending up still serving 15 days in prison? All over a stuffed teddy bear name?

I cannot imagine what must be going through the mind and heart of Gillian Gibbons. She leaves her country and goes to a country to teach, to help others, to make a difference. One can only imagine her thoughts when told she was under arrest for naming a teddy bear and insulting islam by doing do.

The name Mohammed (Muhammad) is a very common name for male Muslims. That leaves one to wonder why little kids, who chose that name, are witnessing such nonsense from the government of Sudan over the treatment of their teacher. One has to wonder if the Sudan government even realizes just how all of this looks not only to those little kids but to the rest of the world watching in disbelief.

There's a lot of beauty in this world.... a kind word, loving hearts, people who give and help, friends that are there no matter what, cuddly stuffed teddy bears. And there's a lot of ugly in the world....hateful words, hateful hearts, people that take and never help, people that have no idea what a friend is, and people who want to hurt those that love stuffed teddy bears.

I take a lot of things in my life for granted. I'm an American, and it seems we do that. We can work almost any place we want to. We can go almost any place we want to. We can sit up all night if we want to. We can talk any way we please. We have the privilege of dissing our president if we choose to. We can speak out minds, and God knows some of us do that and often. We can live where we want to live. As Americans, we enjoy a lot of rights and privileges. Men and women have fought and died, and lived, to give us those privileges. I'm grateful for that.

But until today, I never realized just how blessed we are as Americans. We live in a country that allows us to name our teddy bears as we see fit, without reprisal, without worrying about being executed for what we name our teddy bear. We can name our stuffed teddy bear and not worry about being whipped 40 lashes in public, or having to spend six months in prison, or even 15 days in prison. Nor are we deported when we name our teddy bears.

No, this is America, the land of the free and the brave. Our teddy bears can be named what we wish to name them. The little kids in class are free to name their teddy bear anything they chose to and the teacher won't be all over the world media because of it. The teacher won't have to worry about the school secretary turning her in because of what she chose to allow as the teddy bear name.

I never met this prophet Muhammad or Mohammad. He was a bit bit before my time. But I suspect he would be appalled at how this teacher is being treated, in his name. And I suspect that had soft and cuddly teddy bears been around when he lived, he would have had a a soft and cuddly teddy bear as a child. And I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he named his teddy bear after himself, Muhammad or Mohammad.

May God bring Gillian Gibbons home safe and sound. And perhaps may He also shower those people who wish her harm with warm and cuddly teddy bears to bring some love and cuddliness into their lives and hearts.