Dear Arab World: Take Sudan and other Neighbors to Task for Distorting both Islam and democracy today!?
Dear Arab World: Take Sudan and other Neighbors to Task for Distorting both Islam and democracy today!?
By Kevin Stoda
Let me recall the following!
--In the early 1990s there were democratically held elections in Algeria. Islamic extremist sponsored candidates won. The West refused to support the Islamicist protests when the results of the elections were thrown out. Civil war ensued in Algeria.
--A few years ago in Palestine, Hamas won the elections. This time again the West boycotted the results of those elections. Civil war ensued in Palestine—fully dividing the government and the state into two separate lands.
--Now, in Sudan another anti-election trend is joining the ones that occurred in other Arab countries over the last two decades.
Alright—civil war has been going on in Sudan long before this tiny election in Khartoum this last month. But, it’s the anti-democratic lesson being taught children (the future) that is of concern here.
THE SCENARIO
This particular election was for children.
Where did it take place?
In an elementary school classroom in Khartoum in Sudan!
The class was being taught by British Gillian Gibbons. She was simply “following a British National Curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and their habitats. This year's animal was the bear.”
In addition, the lesson teaches the children to take responsibility for their environment by allowing them to participate in a campaign to name the mascot of the year--a teddy bear in this case.
The children nominated several names and then votes were cast.
The 6- and 7- year old students overwhelmingly chose the name, “Mohammed.”
Upset parents and Islamicists have raised Cain with the Ministry of Education. This anti-democratic trend culminated last week in the arrest of Gillian Gibbons under the charge of blasphemy.
BLASPHEMY, MOHAMMEDIN WORHSIP OR ANTI-DEMOCRATIC?
Well, once again, (at first glance) it seems that someone has attacked the name of Mohammed, the main prophet of Islam.
Is that the issue? No, this is not nor should it be the issue.
The issue is how Islam and Arabs wants to be perceived by the rest of the world.
The response by police, Islamicists and other authorities to Gillian Gibbons’ innocent usage or misuse of the name Mohammed is like providing the West and all-NON-muslims an excuse to say once again that those Muslims claim to worship Allah but actually they worship saints and Mohammed.
The West and others might be right or partially justified, henceforth, in calling such Muslims the name they hate the most: Mohammadans, i.e. worshippers of Mohammed.
As well, it also appears that someone (i.e. certain Muslums and the Sudanese police) is attacking children’s rights to choose the name of their own teddy bear mascot for a whole school year?
To me, this appears to be an accurate description of the recent ongoing harassment of poor educator Gillian Gibbons.
I imagine there must be thousands of children—either playing dolls, children’s games, or roles in dramas—who have chosen to call a fictitious creature or being “Mohammed”.
Children do this simply because they like the name. Only a person who thinks Mohammed is like a God to be worshipped could disagree with a child’s right to choose.
It is totalitarian to simply throw the teacher in the klinger (jail) if she and here children are (1) doing their job and (2) promoting a little democracy amongst their pupils.
It is in not an issue of religious law (sharia) nor of state law.
NO-WIN SITUATION
The fact is elections are turned over or manipulated all over the Arab- and non-Arab worlds.
In the U.S. the Supreme court intervenes in elections counts and thousands of ballots are ignored
Meanwhile, results are thrown out in Egypt quite often!—There, too, Islamicists and others are not permitted to run for office.
Similarly, in Russia, Belorus, China, and Burma today, elections are manipulated consistently so that whole parties and peoples are not permitted to run nor be represented.
In Thailand and in Pakistan the military leadership simply takes over whenever they want—almost as if they are addicted to the power. (This happens in Turkey, too.)
Please, Sudan, don’t invite children to give up on democracy in your land at the ages of 6 and 7 years of age. Don’t teach cynicism so young. It is not healthy!
STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY, ARABS!
Democracy needs to be taught early—just as respect for elders and holy prophets must be taught early on and all the way till the youngsters become adults.
Let’s not LET confusion reign!!
The name of Muhammed is not to be protected in the same manner that women should be protected from rape in Sudan and in many neighboring lands, like Saudi Arabia—where women are lashed 200 times for being raped (and for being brave enough to challenge the courts on the injustice of the system as applied to her case).
The Arab world must work harder to support democracy on its own and not wait for the West to promote democracy and justice. Start with taking Sudan and other neighbors to task for distorting both Islam and democracy today!
p.s. Also, please, Arab peoples and states! Please put pressure on Khartoum to stop its own civil wars now, too.
NOTES
“Sudan arrests teacher over 'Mohammed' bear”, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21973378/
By Kevin Stoda
Let me recall the following!
--In the early 1990s there were democratically held elections in Algeria. Islamic extremist sponsored candidates won. The West refused to support the Islamicist protests when the results of the elections were thrown out. Civil war ensued in Algeria.
--A few years ago in Palestine, Hamas won the elections. This time again the West boycotted the results of those elections. Civil war ensued in Palestine—fully dividing the government and the state into two separate lands.
--Now, in Sudan another anti-election trend is joining the ones that occurred in other Arab countries over the last two decades.
Alright—civil war has been going on in Sudan long before this tiny election in Khartoum this last month. But, it’s the anti-democratic lesson being taught children (the future) that is of concern here.
THE SCENARIO
This particular election was for children.
Where did it take place?
In an elementary school classroom in Khartoum in Sudan!
The class was being taught by British Gillian Gibbons. She was simply “following a British National Curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and their habitats. This year's animal was the bear.”
In addition, the lesson teaches the children to take responsibility for their environment by allowing them to participate in a campaign to name the mascot of the year--a teddy bear in this case.
The children nominated several names and then votes were cast.
The 6- and 7- year old students overwhelmingly chose the name, “Mohammed.”
Upset parents and Islamicists have raised Cain with the Ministry of Education. This anti-democratic trend culminated last week in the arrest of Gillian Gibbons under the charge of blasphemy.
BLASPHEMY, MOHAMMEDIN WORHSIP OR ANTI-DEMOCRATIC?
Well, once again, (at first glance) it seems that someone has attacked the name of Mohammed, the main prophet of Islam.
Is that the issue? No, this is not nor should it be the issue.
The issue is how Islam and Arabs wants to be perceived by the rest of the world.
The response by police, Islamicists and other authorities to Gillian Gibbons’ innocent usage or misuse of the name Mohammed is like providing the West and all-NON-muslims an excuse to say once again that those Muslims claim to worship Allah but actually they worship saints and Mohammed.
The West and others might be right or partially justified, henceforth, in calling such Muslims the name they hate the most: Mohammadans, i.e. worshippers of Mohammed.
As well, it also appears that someone (i.e. certain Muslums and the Sudanese police) is attacking children’s rights to choose the name of their own teddy bear mascot for a whole school year?
To me, this appears to be an accurate description of the recent ongoing harassment of poor educator Gillian Gibbons.
I imagine there must be thousands of children—either playing dolls, children’s games, or roles in dramas—who have chosen to call a fictitious creature or being “Mohammed”.
Children do this simply because they like the name. Only a person who thinks Mohammed is like a God to be worshipped could disagree with a child’s right to choose.
It is totalitarian to simply throw the teacher in the klinger (jail) if she and here children are (1) doing their job and (2) promoting a little democracy amongst their pupils.
It is in not an issue of religious law (sharia) nor of state law.
NO-WIN SITUATION
The fact is elections are turned over or manipulated all over the Arab- and non-Arab worlds.
In the U.S. the Supreme court intervenes in elections counts and thousands of ballots are ignored
Meanwhile, results are thrown out in Egypt quite often!—There, too, Islamicists and others are not permitted to run for office.
Similarly, in Russia, Belorus, China, and Burma today, elections are manipulated consistently so that whole parties and peoples are not permitted to run nor be represented.
In Thailand and in Pakistan the military leadership simply takes over whenever they want—almost as if they are addicted to the power. (This happens in Turkey, too.)
Please, Sudan, don’t invite children to give up on democracy in your land at the ages of 6 and 7 years of age. Don’t teach cynicism so young. It is not healthy!
STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY, ARABS!
Democracy needs to be taught early—just as respect for elders and holy prophets must be taught early on and all the way till the youngsters become adults.
Let’s not LET confusion reign!!
The name of Muhammed is not to be protected in the same manner that women should be protected from rape in Sudan and in many neighboring lands, like Saudi Arabia—where women are lashed 200 times for being raped (and for being brave enough to challenge the courts on the injustice of the system as applied to her case).
The Arab world must work harder to support democracy on its own and not wait for the West to promote democracy and justice. Start with taking Sudan and other neighbors to task for distorting both Islam and democracy today!
p.s. Also, please, Arab peoples and states! Please put pressure on Khartoum to stop its own civil wars now, too.
NOTES
“Sudan arrests teacher over 'Mohammed' bear”, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21973378/
Labels: Sudan Saudi Arabs islam islamist democracy education justice blasphemy
posted by Kevin Anthony Stoda at 10:43 PM
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