Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Gillian Gibbons Freed

I was overjoyed to hear that the Sudanese president issued a full presidential pardon to Gillian Gibbons. Her only action was to allow her class to name a teddy bear. The children chose to name the teddy bear "Mohammed", after one of the children in the class. She didn't name the bear, the children did.

Which brings to mind several questions:
1. Why weren't the people screaming for her execution, also denouncing the children?
2. Why weren't they denouncing the people who name their children "Mohammed"?
3. Is there some kind of double standard for Muslims, wherein they can use the name "Mohammed", but no-one else can?

Society at large doesn't even think twice when people profane Jesus and/or denounce Christians as lunatics, yet God forbid anything be mentioned about Muhamed or Islam. We have a guy who writes a trilogy of books, where in the end, God is killed and nobody threatens his life. In fact, they make movies based on the books. Maybe if Christians had a lunatic fringe that blew things up, people would be more likely to think twice.

The world has become so afraid of offending Islam, because of a small few, that children naming a teddy bear will bring public outrage and calls for execution. I can't say I was surprised considering the outrage over some editorial cartoon/caricatures.

I am optimistic about the number of Muslims who have come out and said that this is insane. It makes me happy to know that common sense does exist and holds sway over people...even if someone supposedly "insulted" their religion.