by
Sr. Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.
I heard of the case on TV,
and read this quote in Euronews
website, 28.11.07.
‘A British teacher has been questioned in Sudan over claims she insulted Islam by letting her class of children name a teddy bear Mohammed. Gillian Gibbons, who taught at the Unity High School in Khartoum, was arrested on Sunday after complaints from parents. If convicted, the 54-year-old faces 40 lashes, six months in prison or a hefty fine.
An Imam at a local mosque said Gibbons' actions were insulting: "Islam
respects other freedoms and gives people ample space to express their opinions.
In return we ask that other beliefs and religions respect our opinions and deal
fairly with us."
Gibbons had asked her class of seven-year-olds to choose their favourite name for the bear. 20 out of the 23 picked Mohammed. The director of the school has closed it until January, fearful of reprisals in mainly Muslim Khartoum.’
My heart goes out to this poor lady, obviously no ‘dragon’ or ‘old battle-axe’ of the sort that taught me, but one of the tender sort who interacts with seven-year-olds and their much loved toys.
I feel it is so sad that this little corner of the world of Islam has let down my faith by taking offence so publicly and punitively against a lady who is doing her best to serve their country and community.
Before explaining my views, let me perhaps open the eyes of non-Muslims to the feelings of those who were offended. Let us imagine this was a primary school in the UK, where most of the pupils and their parents were devout Christians. A teddy bear needs a name – let the class choose its favourite name in a similar way. Write out their favourite name (or the name of someone they dearly loved, perhaps) and put it in a hat, and draw out the winner.
Supposing for a moment that 20 out of the 23 little ones chose the name Jesus – because at that age, in the right educational circumstances, they might well love him dearly. (This may seem unlikely to those who reject Christianity too and are used to agnostic or atheist circumstances, but in a faith-school it might still be possible).
The teacher now has a dilemma – would she consider Jesus a suitable name to be given to the teddy bear? Most likely, she would not, and would encourage the class to choose some other name. She might do that out of her own respect for Jesus, or she might do it because she realized how many raised eyebrows there would be amongst the parents, or even a rebuke from an embarrassed Head Teacher.
Many people of my generation were outraged, for example, when a well-known pop-star famous for sexy and scantily-clad performances chose to call herself Madonna. I was outraged, even though I am not a Roman Catholic – the Madonna is a traditional name for Mary the mother of Jesus. I found her choice of name insulting and offensive.
So, this teacher in Khartoum was foolish in allowing her class to name the little bear Muhammad, even if they genuinely loved that name, as well they might.
But where is the crime? The children, in their innocence, did not commit a crime – for they probably had not the least idea that their parents would object to it, or if they did, why. Ms Gibbons almost certainly had no intention whatsoever of insulting the Prophet (pbuh) - the thought probably never entered her head. The fact that it perhaps ought to have entered her head does not make her guilty of any crime or disrespect – just naivety, and lack of thought or awareness.
A Shar’iah judge, in my opinion, ought to see Ms Gibbons speedily restored to her job, a little wiser – but I think much sadder, for she probably did not expect that the parents of children she loved and served would react against her in any such way.
She has not committed blasphemy. Blasphemy in Islam is the sin of someone who has been a genuine Muslim believer deciding to turn against Allah and revile Him publicly. If a Muslim turned against Allah in thought or unspoken word, what has happened is a matter between that person and Allah, but is in no way an offence or blasphemy.
If a person who reviled, denied, vilified or cursed Allah was not a Muslim to start with, there has been no offence of blasphemy committed. Blasphemy has been called a ‘victimless crime’ by those who do not believe in God, since they have no concept or awareness of God, the ‘victim’ of the offence.
If a child, or a person under the influence of some drug, or a person who was not in full possession of their own mind cursed Allah, no offence of blasphemy has been committed. These categories, declared the Prophet (pbuh) in a hadith recorded by Aishah, are always innocent.
Even if a Muslim did turn against Allah and blasphemed Him, it is debatable amongst the scholars of Islam whether this would in itself be punishable by an earthly court – according to the verses in the Qur’an, the penalty is a matter between the blasphemer and Allah, and the judgement and penalty will be matters for the Life to Come.
One of the beautiful things about the One True God is that He is All-Merciful, All-Compassionate. If a person has sinned, or committed a crime, whatever the process of law involved, God will always forgive that person the moment he or she turns to Him, sorry for what they have done (or not done, which they should have done). Where the victim of the crime or abuse is another created being, then a process of law is laid down to deal with that. Where the ‘offended party’ is Allah Himself, He leaves the ‘offender’ until his or her allotted time to leave their earthly life, in order to give the broadest possible opportunity for a change of heart. A person could sin and sin again, hundreds of times, and still find Allah waiting with open arms to receive him or her back into the fold.
(Please refer to the article on my website for thoughts on Apostasy and the Death Sentence).
In Shari’ah law this lady has not
committed blasphemy at all. Was she even guilty of disrespecting the Prophet
(pbuh)? Personally, I do not think so – unless it was genuinely her intention
to cause offence by giving a much-loved teddy-bear his name. The crime or sin
lies in the intention (niyyah). If there was no intention to offend,
then she has not sinned, but her offence occurred merely from her personal lack
of knowledge or sensitivity about the attitude of the parents of her pupils.
What should be the correct Muslim
attitude to that? When dealing with everyday behaviour and life in general,
Muslims are taught to correct faults and failings whenever it is possible for
them to do so, but also to follow the Prophet’s (pbuh) sunnah (example
and way of life) in the way they deal with people. The Prophet (pbuh) was a
very gentle person, and despite his lack of formal education, an expert and
tactful teacher. He did not explode with wrath, shout at people, nag and whine,
make people feel small. When his friends did wrong, or had faults, or made
mistakes, they were not summoned for a public tirade of anger and rebuke, even
if it was an extremely serious matter. The Prophet (pbuh) would do his best to
mention the subject during a conversation, or in a sermon, in a way that would
not draw shame on the offender but gently let them know where they had gone
wrong and how they might put it all right again.
Instead of drawing attention to
people’s faults and failings, he taught how Allah loved us and cared for us
even though we have these faults and failings (with much more love than a
mother has for a child). His teachings reached the hearts of people, and they
loved him and Allah, and were relieved of the burdens of their guilt and shame
and shortcomings, determined to do better.
So, I am saddened by the hasty
reaction of whoever brought this lady teacher into custody, even if they were
seriously outraged by naming a toy after the Prophet of Islam (pbuh). I wish the Prophet (pbuh) was still here
amongst us so that I could take the lady’s case to him. I am 100% certain that
although he might modestly request a different name for the bear, the lady
herself would not be sent away without a welcome, refreshments, a smile, and
warm feelings towards him.