[Image source: Muslim Teddy Bears]
Ok, ok, stuffed toys don’t have any religion. I discovered this really cool site via Ali’s basement. Its called Muslim Teddy Bears. According to the website here is why the site was conceived.
MuslimTeddyBears.com was born from a desire by the Muslim community to show their solidarity with Gillian Gibbons, a British school teacher who was unjustly imprisoned on November 28, 2007, when a student in her class named a teddy bear, Muhammad. The Sudanese authorities, citing local laws against religious defamation arrested Ms. Gibbons, and charged her under Section 125 of the Sudanese Criminal Act, for “insulting religion, inciting hatred, and showing contempt for religious beliefs.” It is opinion of millions of Muslims worldwide that Ms. Gibbons did not insult the religious sensibilities of Muslims by what transpired in her classroom. Moreover, the response of the Sudanese officials is not just “insulting” to the Islamic faith, it shows the greatest “contempt” for the sacred memory of the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom may be peace.
So basically the site was born as a mean to show solidarity with the British teacher Gillian Gibbons. The non-issue was blown out of proportions for no reason. I was heartbroken to hear that some Muslims were asking for the teacher to be killed. This is not the Islam that attracted me in the first place and some of the Sudanese Ulemas reacted in a not so moderate manner, “What has happened was not haphazard or carried out of ignorance, but rather a calculated action and another ring in the circles of plotting against Islam.” Muslims are supposed to respect the scholars so I will just say, “With scholars like these who needs enemies.” This is not Islam but rather manipulation of religion for political gains. Anyway I think the website is a great idea and I encourage people of all faiths and inclinations to support the site.
To my overzealous brothers and sisters, please don’t take this to mean that Islam is the fastest growing religion amongst stuffed toys. lol
goddamn! good one
thanks for the shout out!