Religion of Tolerance Screams for Teddy Bear Execution

Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 8:22:59 am PST

It’s Friday, the Islamic day of prayer, and that means that thousands of Muslims in Sudan are screaming for the death of Gillian Gibbons and her heinous teddy bear of blasphemy: Thousands in Sudan Call for British Teddy Bear Teacher’s Execution.

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied Friday in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear “Muhammad.”

The protesters streamed out of mosques after Friday sermons, as pickup trucks with loudspeakers blared messages against Gillian Gibbons, the teacher who was sentenced Thursday to 15 days in prison and deportation. She avoided the more serious punishment of 40 lashes.

They massed in central Martyrs Square outside the presidential palace, where hundreds of riot police were deployed. They did not try to stop the rally, which lasted about an hour. “Shame, shame on the U.K.,” protesters chanted.

The protesters called for Gibbons’ execution, saying, “No tolerance: Execution,” and “Kill her, kill her by firing squad.”