What's In a Name?

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Teacher jailed in Sudan after she named a school teddy bear "Mohammed".

News report on the cause célèbre surrounding the Liverpool teacher, Gillian Gibbons, who was charged in 2007 in Sudan with defamation of the prophet under Shariah law, after she named a teddy bear "Mohammed" in a school. She was originally sentenced to 40 lashes or 15 days in a Sudanese prison, though the whipping was withdrawn after she apologised to the court. She served some of her sentence in a Sudanese gaol and was then released and returned to Britain.
From: BBC Ten O'Clock News
First Broadcast : 29 November 2007

Teachers' notes

Age Group : 14-16,16+

Subject : Religious Education

Topic : Religion and the world of work, Religious experience

Keywords : Whose law is it anyway? Authority and influence, Islam, Mohammed, Religion in the workplace, Understanding culture, Multiculturalism,

Notes : Give background to story. Use clip to discuss the idea that when living abroad people have an obligation to abide by the rules and customs of others. Discuss with the class whether the incident would have happened if she had researched into the laws and customs associated with the name of Muhammad. Explore the teachings of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism on law and punishment.

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