to the teddy teacher: i sympathize with your plight

Have you heard about the British teacher who was accused and convicted of inciting religious hatred for allowing her 7-year-old students to name a teddy bear Mohammed? Seriously! That is obsessive religious control gone overboard! Mohammed is such a common name there, and these kids are KIDS! At seven years old, they don’t understand that their religion considers it blasphemous to name a teddy bear Mohammed.

Thankfully, the teacher was only sentenced to 15 days imprisonment and deportation. It is certainly not the ideal outcome, but in that region they don’t think twice about what we consider cruel and unusual punishment – and this gal originally faced lashes. As a former aid worker, I understand the frustration that comes with a forced departure from a land that desperately needs your help. However, hopefully the prison time will not be bad. I’m sure that she also received a lighter sentence due to the worldwide outcry and also her British citizenship. If the Brits are anything like us (and in this regard, I think they are), they would not allow one of their citizens to receive extreme punishment for any crime, and especially not for a crime which is not also illegal in Britain.