My teddy is just called "Ted"
So, this is about the recent arrest, jailing and pardoning of an English woman in Sudan for calling a teddy bear Mohammed. If I may (and this is my blog, so I guess I can do what I want), I’d like to open this piece with a couple of paragraphs from Wikipedia’s entry on Sudan. And please, no “Anyone can edit Wikipedia, so it’s all bollocks.” If you disagree with anything cited, please give me some proof to look at and I’ll be happy to do so. Ok, on with the quotage.
“The humanitarian branch of the United Nations, consisting of several UN agencies coordinated by OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs], works to bring life-saving relief to those in need. It is estimated by OCHA, that over 3.5 million people in Darfur (including 2.2 million IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons, acronym fans!]) are heavily reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival. By contrast, in 2007 OCHA, under the leadership of Eliane Duthoit, started to gradually phase out in Southern Sudan, where humanitarian needs are gradually diminishing, and are slowly but markedly leaving the place to recovery and development activities.
In July 2007, many parts of the country were devastated by flooding, prompting an immediate humanitarian response by the United Nations and partners, under the leadership of acting United Nations Resident Coordinators David Gressly and Oluseyi Bajulaiye. Over 400,000 people were directly affected, with over 3.5 million at risk of epidemics. The United Nations have allocated US$ 13.5 million for the response from its pooled funds, but will launch an appeal to the international community to cover the gap.”
Sounds like a place with problems, huh? So what the cocking hell are people doing getting offended about a teddy bear? If you’re living in Sudan and have that much time on your hands, go and help your fellow countrymen you stupid bastards! Go and help rebuild something, instead of campaigning to have flogged a woman who cam to your country to help.
I’ve tried to construe the situation as something other than proof religion needs to be a private thing, not something that dictates government or legal policy. But I can’t. It’s sheer insanity to have a situation where a teacher can be locked up for naming a toy. And before anyone in this country gets too cocky, let’s remember that at the moment, we’re still restricted on when we can shop on a Sunday because a small minority of people think we should be in church. Are we so far away from something equally stupid happening?
I’d like to have written more on this, but I can’t think of anything else to say without going off on a long rant. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy a dildo and name it Mohammed.
“The humanitarian branch of the United Nations, consisting of several UN agencies coordinated by OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs], works to bring life-saving relief to those in need. It is estimated by OCHA, that over 3.5 million people in Darfur (including 2.2 million IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons, acronym fans!]) are heavily reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival. By contrast, in 2007 OCHA, under the leadership of Eliane Duthoit, started to gradually phase out in Southern Sudan, where humanitarian needs are gradually diminishing, and are slowly but markedly leaving the place to recovery and development activities.
In July 2007, many parts of the country were devastated by flooding, prompting an immediate humanitarian response by the United Nations and partners, under the leadership of acting United Nations Resident Coordinators David Gressly and Oluseyi Bajulaiye. Over 400,000 people were directly affected, with over 3.5 million at risk of epidemics. The United Nations have allocated US$ 13.5 million for the response from its pooled funds, but will launch an appeal to the international community to cover the gap.”
Sounds like a place with problems, huh? So what the cocking hell are people doing getting offended about a teddy bear? If you’re living in Sudan and have that much time on your hands, go and help your fellow countrymen you stupid bastards! Go and help rebuild something, instead of campaigning to have flogged a woman who cam to your country to help.
I’ve tried to construe the situation as something other than proof religion needs to be a private thing, not something that dictates government or legal policy. But I can’t. It’s sheer insanity to have a situation where a teacher can be locked up for naming a toy. And before anyone in this country gets too cocky, let’s remember that at the moment, we’re still restricted on when we can shop on a Sunday because a small minority of people think we should be in church. Are we so far away from something equally stupid happening?
I’d like to have written more on this, but I can’t think of anything else to say without going off on a long rant. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy a dildo and name it Mohammed.
posted by Sledge @ 12:03
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