Quote:
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Originally Posted by BBC
The Muslim Council of Britain reacted angrily to the news, saying it was "appalled" and demanded Mrs Gibbons' immediate release. "This is a disgraceful decision and defies common sense. There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith," said Secretary-General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, in a strongly-worded statement.
"We call upon the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, to intervene in this case without delay to ensure that Ms Gibbons is freed from this quite shameful ordeal," said Dr Bari.
Earlier, the Sudanese Embassy in London had said the situation was a "storm in a teacup" and signalled that the teacher could be released soon, attributing the incident to a cultural misunderstanding.
But Sudan's top clerics have called for the full measure of the law to be used against Mrs Gibbons and labelled her actions part of a Western plot against Islam.
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And some muslim countries are confused at being labeled as
'backward' by western nations - we might not say it directly to your face, but we certainly think it; that's called
diplomacy.
I am saddened over this whole event and whilst naivety is no excuse for not being aware, I have to say, loudly, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!
Personally I hope
Gillian Gibbons returns to the UK as soon as possible and never sets foot on Sudanese soil again, they will probably be poorer for it but it appears that's just how they like it. Should that be the case it's a shame her school kids will no longer benefit from her skills and attention. 
EDIT:
some interesting and balanced thoughts in the (article and) comments at the bottom of the page here, in particular
Quote:
What we really have here is a non-Muslim teacher in a school run by a non-Muslim board that allows Muslims and non-Muslims to educate and be educated together. While some would applaud this, I am sure that many "Islamists" in Sudan would be appalled at such a thing and have been waiting for an excuse to close the school down. There are bigger issues than soft toys and ignorant children and teachers.
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In truth, I suspect this last is closest to the mark with this incident.