A British teacher is facing 40 lashes after letting her pupils name a teddy bear Mohammed?

While I take the point of some about livng by your host Country's rules there is also the issue of placing the event here in context and the issue of the teacher's rights under the rules of the Geneva convention. One wonders if the same rules would apply in the Sudan if during the course of teaching these children about Christianity they had named the teddy bear Jesus? I doubt it. Surely this is a way of engaging small children with religion by association of a cherished religious figure with a loved and cherished object to said children? Had a snake been called Mohammed one could (just about) see the intention to cause offence but an innocent childhood toy that brings much love and pleasure to small children, in the way religious icons should? It makes no sense.

What she did surely promotes the religion rather than degrade it? It is getting increasingly irritating to discover just how easy it is to offend certain Muslims but also that the same rules do not apply if the proverbly boot is on the other foot. All religions should be first and formost about tolerance and peace, not about looking for fights where they do not exist!

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that there is a god so whoever reads the words of so called "prophets" deserves 40 lashes.

When will mankind wake up to the fact that we are the masters of our own destiny and those backward zealots like fanatical muslims are not doing anything to advance universal knowledge and understanding by continuing to believe in divinity.

Wake up and make peace on earth instead of the divisions that religion creates.

If i am wrong and a god does appear in the next thousand years dont you think it would be displeased with all the bickering and petty squabbles that religion has created.

We are stardust - nothing more nothing less

Now muslims think they are better than christians - its pathetic

Religion is a cover for the shame of what you are

Be proud and throw off the shackles of being a subject in a load of outdated make believe wisdom

Before we all destroy ourselves via belief

There is something uncivilised about a middle-aged visiting teacher being lashed by Muslim fanatics.

But think about the other side of the situation. Imagine a Muslim woman teacher came to your rural, agricultural area (complete with burqa) and started teaching in your local church school. After a poll of pupils, she decides to name a teddy bear Jesus Christ. Or perhaps Mormon. Or Virgin Mary. Or Jehovah.

How well would that go down in that community, in their school? I suggest it may cause offence. Well, this teacher has been similarly unwise and ought to have known better at her age. But still whipping a mistaken middle-aged visiting teacher is uncivilised and if it reflects the spirit of Islam, then there is something wrong with that religion.

It would actually be more helpful on here if everyone got together to condemn this atrocity. The ragweed's and their fellow travellers are doing themselves no favours at all, here or in their communities at large. Any kind of justification or support for so called 'sharia law' in this case is only going to inflame and exacerbate the simmering hostility in this country towards ALL muslims regardless of their particular brand of islam.

How would we feel if another corner shop or asian cab driver gets trashed because of this. Btw I, like many others did not 'sign up' for islam and am therefore not bound by its teachings, caveats etc.

If I want to 'piss on the prophet' or use the koran as an ***-wipe I shall feel free so do without fear of threats or recrimination.

And to any 'Ali-Babble' camel reamers out there, I would say don't start what you lack the guts to finish!

PS I have no problem with any ideology or cult protesting at perceived offence to their 'beliefs', but the response must be proportionate and fair ie we do not murder, torture or threaten the same in the case of books, cartoons or misnamed teddy bears.

She is in the Sudan trying to make it a better place, because the local Muslim inhabitants are too ignorant to educate thier own effectively. That's a FACT. Her position of power-a teacher- made her a target. Also a FACT. The CHILDREN named the teddy bear a person's name because in a child's world, teddy bears are alive. Also a FACT. MUSLIMS decided to find an excuse to torture an educated western woman.

They should send in the SAS to break her out and frag any Johnny Jihad's that step in front of them. Then, the international community should cease all aid to the Sudan. Obviously, through thier actions they are showing help is not wanted.

If we have to play by others rules in thier countries, why can they not play by our rules in our countries?. I personally think it is proposterous what they may be doing to her. Can you imagine someone calling a teddy Jesus, and then facing jail with whip lashing too?. Nope, me neither. Just goes to show you that some religions take things way to seriously and ridiculously, and this religion is supposed to be peaceloving.....yeah right!. I am disgusted with them. Leave the woman alone.

Jonathan, I think you've hit on something here. It would seem only reasonble that if it's against Islamic law to name an inanimate object mohammed, then it should also against Islamic law to name anything mohammed, especially your children. This is yet another fine example of the intolerance and inconsistiency of the laws of the "peaceful" religion of Islam.

unfortunetly you are correct but it is their law and she should of known to err on the side of caution or seek advise wether it is allowed, seeing as the muslims take mohamad very seriously and almost any deification of him (nevermind that is deifying him) if someone brakes the law in this country should they be let off even if other countries view that law silly? it wasn't so long ago that people were executed under the witchcraft act (since abolished) or punished for blassphamy in the uk and in america the presidant can be impeached for his personal folly never mind the right or wrong of it we live by what we do and have to live with the consequences

Yepper, Strap all the lunatic fanatic Muslims ... This is another example of lets be nice to these people. We just need to understand them.They are barbaric.But if you ask the liberals here they say lethal injection is cruel for a child rapist or mass murderer.... This is crazy!!!!!

But everyone in Yahoo says Islam is a religion of peace. What gives here?