Job Discussion Forums

[sayanything]

Not sure if this has already been posted somewhere

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,,2217259,00.html

Scary...

[Guy Courchesne]

Pretty silly in my opinion, but not altogether surprising in this current political climate.

[soapdodger]

Nothing new there. When I worked there in 86 cases of teachers being publicly flogged for drinking alcohol were not unknown. Personally I had an incident in a class when teaching from an abominable book called The Nile Course of English. There was a unit about coeducation which encouraged a debate about this (rather taboo) subject. Despite trying to deal with it sensitively one student, clearly an extremist, suddenly got up, strode out of the classroom and yelled something aggressively from outside which the other students declined to translate. Very tense atmosphere and got off the subject sharpish. Teachers were constantly approached by extremists trying to get us to admit to being athiests (big,big mistake) or communists (worse) in order to incite an impromptu lynching. Most people in the country were marvellous though and I think there was a very high percentage of returnee teachers.

[QatarChic]

I read that the parents didn't have a problem with it, just another Sudanese teacher at the school who complained. Disgusting.

I feel sorry for this British teacher- hope they release her soon

[jwbhomer]

The Daily Mail version of this story is posted on the Oman thread.

A point that's being missed here is the shocking lack of cultural awareness/sensitivity on the part of the British schoolteacher. Suppose a Muslim schoolteacher in the UK -- say, someone visiting from Pakistan or Iran -- allowed her class to name a teddybear "Jesus". What do you suppose the reaction would be?

OK, they probably wouldn't threaten her with flogging, but there would be those who would think it not a bad idea. As for me, I think someone has to be pretty stupid to go to teach in a foreign country without enough knowledge of the local do's and don'ts to realize that this could only lead to trouble.

[Guy Courchesne]

This would be my own ignorance of Islam speaking here, but how many Brits are named 'Jesus'? Mohammed is a common first name in Islamic countries, is it not? The kids were asked to pick their favorite name, not a religious figure. Mexico has all sorts of people named Jesus, Maria, and Guadelupe.

I think this more a case of overblown sensitivities already rubbed raw and reacting to even the smallest of things.

[QatarChic]

I thought you weren't allowed to call your son Jesus in the UK, or am I wrong? When I lived in Spain, Jesus was very common for males, ironically in the Middle East, some of my Qatari students have Jesus as a first name, albeit using the Arabic translation- Isa. Then you have the others like....Moses-Musa, Abraham-Ibrahim, Yahya-John, Dawud-David, Jonas- Yunus......etc etc

The British press is going to have a field day with this tomorrow. Hope there are no repercussions for us in the Gulf. Wasn't there a teacher who lost his/her job in the UAE for bringing up the story with the whole cartoon thing last year?

[dixie]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7112929.stm

Here is a link to the BBC story.

I don�t understand why it is okay to name your son Mohammed. Is that not also implying that he is in the image of the prophet?

But what I really don�t undestand, is why this took so long to occur? Apparently the naming of the teddy bear happened in September. If parents are so angry, why did they not complain before? Or is it the case of slow moving officals at the BoE?

However, apparently a fellow teacher, and mother of one of the students in the class was not offended at all. In fact, she was amazed that Ms. Gibbons was able to get them to vote.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought 'here we go again, another sex scandal involving a teacher'.

Sources have indicated, however, that she was not sleeping with the underage bear in question.

[coffeedrinker]

Yikes. I've made my own fair share of cultural blunders and would hate to think of jail time or worse as a possible result.

I do wonder about the parts we are not hearing...why did it immediately come to this arrest? I'm not saying I could have anticipated something like this, but I'm not living in Sudan. From what I do know, it is a pretty conservative country, and it surprises me that no one living there thought to point out to this new teacher that others might react strongly to this, even if they themselves didn't.

My heart goes out to this teacher and I hope it is all resolved soon. But I'm more curious about how it all came to this than than having a say on the particular custom in question.

[Stephen Jones]

Sounds like somebody with an agenda stirring things up.

[Insubordination]

It seems like a serious lack of common sense but I guess I have made a cultural blunder or two in my time. I'm sure no one gave the teacher training/warning about using the name Mohamed for toys. The kids obviously didn't know it was wrong either or were having a lend.

In fact, teacher might have thought it would be offensive to refuse to call the teddy bear Mohamed. It all sounds funny from afar but must be terrifying for the teacher in question.

Still, even ol' atheistic me would know not to name a teddy bear Jesus with a classroom full of kids, even in Central/South America.

[dixie]

...and here is how it (supposedly) all started (from the BBC):

[Will.]

Yes, it is a shame...A teacher never considered, or a DoS never thought it necessary, a school principal didn't bother, and an authority individual exploited the situation. sanme old same old.
Teachers need to be taught as well. This is not the lesson one would expect from those responsible people in authority but it is the teacher that cops it.

I think there could be a possible backlash to this.

In many western countries

celebrations of Christ mas

of gift giving and

of

toys for kids

Mummy! I want a Mohammed teddy,
Well, we have had Rupert bears Biggles bears

Anybody in the toy trade could really capitalise on this.

I think I will get a pot belly pig for myself now what shall I call it.
Now, do I really want to teach in Yemen...

[rusmeister]