SubscribeThe row has been framed as a religious confrontation of a depressingly familiar sort: from one side, it is yet further evidence of the barbarism inherent in a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam; from the other, it is further proof of a concerted campaign to denigrate Islam. Yet the Sudanese decision to punish this blameless woman over something so apparently trivial has little to do with rival gods: it is a political manoeuvre, a calculated gambit by a regime under stress that has every reason to want to play to the Islamic gallery.
Khartoum seems to have picked this fight over a cuddly toy deliberately: to distract attention from its pernicious role in the Darfur conflict and deteriorating relations with the south of the country, to demonstrate its Islamic credentials, to shore up its own power and to tweak the nose of the West.
President Omar al-Bashir has been itching for a confrontation with Britain since the UK threatened sanctions against Khartoum if Darfur peace talks failed. Mrs Gibbons is a teacher at Unity High School, a school run by Christians that follows a British-style curriculum. It is a prominent reminder of Sudan's colonial past, making her a most tempting target.
...The decision has little to do with theology and everything to do with the politics of Sudan, international and internal.
I don't hate America, I just don't buy into this rah rah bullshit or the anti-Islamic flip side.True (though not so much British foreign relations right now.) In any event the "I don't hate America" was meant to be specifically a personal statement about how as an American refusing to participate in war of civilizations rhetoric does not mean I don't believe in anything good about my own nation. The opposite of self-righteous is not self-loathing.
Remember that this was a British woman teaching in Sudan. Some things exist outside of the realm of American foreign relations.
The Muslim community in Britain have criticised Sudan for "overreacting"..."This case should have required only simple common sense to resolve. It is unfortunate that the Sudanese authorities were found wanting in this most basic of qualities. They grossly overreacted in this sad affair and this episode," said Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain...Dr Bari said that Mrs Gibbons should be released immediately. "Mrs Gibbons should never have been arrested, let alone charged and convicted of committing a crime. We hope that Gillian will be able to return home without much further delay," said Bari.From here. And as I recall the MCB is not a particularly liberal body.
...the existing government in Sudan has always been prickly, obstreperous and wont to childish displays of inferiority complexes. This is partly rooted in deep insecurity and partly a hangover of the cynical anti-Western propaganda campaign the National Liberation Front employed for years in order to divert attention from its own lack of a political agenda and rally support for the war in the South. They need to be SEEN to be doing something as opposed to actually feeling strongly about the case. The overreaction stems from the government’s lack of touch with the national zeitgeist (the streets of Sudan have hardly been awash with protestors, and those that have showed up have strong affiliations with the government) as well as the miscalculation of how their display of standing up to the big guy will be perceived in the West. Instead of coming across all Iran like, principled and not bowing down to the hegemony of the West (which is how the Sudanese government likes to perceive itself) the real perception is of a joke of a regime that really has no perspective. The frustrating thing is that in the absence of a closer examination of the aforementioned issues, Muslims are being portrayed as primitive grunting zealots. Again.The comments there yields this lovely toy.
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posted by GuyZero at 7:24 AM on November 30, 2007