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| Teacher charged over teddy row | Teacher charged over teddy row |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A British teacher has been charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs. | A British teacher has been charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs. |
| The Foreign Office has confirmed that charges have been laid against 54-year-old Gillian Gibbons, who is from Liverpool. | The Foreign Office has confirmed that charges have been laid against 54-year-old Gillian Gibbons, who is from Liverpool. |
| She was arrested in Khartoum after allowing her class of primary school pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad. | She was arrested in Khartoum after allowing her class of primary school pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad. |
| Lawyers say she faces six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine if convicted. | |
| Sudanese state media said prosecutors had completed their investigation and decided to charge Mrs Gibbons under Article 125 of the Sudanese criminal code. | Sudanese state media said prosecutors had completed their investigation and decided to charge Mrs Gibbons under Article 125 of the Sudanese criminal code. |
| The BBC's Amber Henshaw, in Khartoum, said Mrs Gibbons was expected to appear in court on Thursday. | |
| 'Misunderstanding' | |
| Mrs Gibbons taught at Unity High School in Khartoum and the school's director, Robert Boulos, said earlier: "This is a very sensitive issue. We are very worried about her safety. | Mrs Gibbons taught at Unity High School in Khartoum and the school's director, Robert Boulos, said earlier: "This is a very sensitive issue. We are very worried about her safety. |
| class="" href="/1/hi/magazine/7115821.stm">What can't be named Muhammad? "This was a completely innocent mistake." | |
| Earlier, the Sudanese Embassy in London said the situation was a "storm in a teacup" and indicated that the teacher could be released soon, saying the incident was based on a cultural misunderstanding. | |
| In September, Mrs Gibbons asked her pupils to vote on a name for a teddy bear as part of a study of animals and their habitats. | |
| One boy told reporters: "The teacher asked me what I wanted to call the teddy. I said Muhammad. I named it after my name." | |
| Mrs Gibbons was arrested on Sunday after several parents made complaints to Sudan's Ministry of Education. |