Sunday, 02 December 2007
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Sudanese Teddy Bears Mask Underlying Problems in Darfur
Gillian Gibbons is the teacher who was sentenced to 15 days in jail in Khartoum, Sudan, for allowing the seven-year old students in her class to name a teddy bear "Muhammad". The original punishment was much harsher (40 lashes and 6 months in jail) but it was reduced in respect to international outrage. Pray for her release, and for those who would punish her to have a clearer sense of what pleases God. Pray for those who, eager to display their faith, have called for severe punishment.
The underlying issue is the intense pressure on the Sudanese to declare themselves true and faithful Muslims, the same issue that underlies the murderous attacks on civilians in Darfur in the western Sudan. Pray that Ms. Gibbons's experience will awaken leaders in Sudan of their need to make their country more safe for people of all faiths and races ("Arabness" has become a code for "Muslim" and been used as a basis for attacking those in Darfur who are called "Black" or "African"). Pray that the Sudanese government will desist from restraining attempts to help the civilians in Darfur, and will open the country to free expression. Pray for those who are in the name of Christ trying to help those suffering in Darfur.
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