Jail Term For Sudan Teddy Bear Teacher

A British teacher has been jailed in the Sudan for insulting religion after naming her classes' teddy bear Muhammad.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, has now been sentenced to 15 days in prison and will then be deported. She escaped conviction for inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, and will now appeal.

The Foreign Office today put pressure on the Sudan government to demand her release.

Meanwhile, the identity of Mrs Gibbon's accuser was revealed yesterday as being another member of staff.

During the case, the trial judge ordered the prosecution to produce the person who originally complained against the primary school teacher.

She was revealed to be Sara Khawad, an office assistant at the Unity High School which was a surprise to the defendant.

During the case, Mrs Gibbons, 54, looked tired and distressed having entered the court amid chaotic scenes - while outside an offender was being whipped as part of his punishment - and while riot police surrounded the area.

Media and school colleagues were also banned from the court and police even tried to stop her lawyer from entering.

Mrs Gibbons’ chief defence lawyer Kamal Djizouri was also forced to scuffle with a police cordon before he was allowed in.

Meanwhile, a statement from Mrs Gibbons, a mother-of-two from Liverpool, was read to the court in which she explained the incident and underlined that her seven-year-old students picked the name.

Episcopalian Bishop Ezekiel Kondo, Mrs Gibbons’ employer, also outside the courtroom, said he was there “as a witness to testify that she never intended to insult any religion” and dismissed rumours the school had fired her.

Yesterday, the country’s top Muslim clerics pressed their government to ensure that she is punished, comparing her action to author Salman Rushdie’s “blasphemies” against the Prophet Mohammed.

(BMcC)