If you hadn’t been paying attention to what has been going on Sudan this past week, you’re missing some grade A bullshit. Gillian Gibbons, a Brit schoolteacher, allowed her students to name a teddy bear “Muhammad” and was convicted of insulting Islam, resulting in a 15 day prison sentence and deportation.

Really?!

Look, I have as much respect for Islam as I do for any other religion. I have a great deal of respect for religions the world over. I do draw the line at some of the kookier religions(I’m talking to you, Mormonism!), but you get the idea. But, sadly, this is just another example of muslims not having a sense of perspective when it comes to religion. And no, I’m not trying to make a blanket statement that “all” muslims are like this, but for the most part, it seems that muslims in certain parts of the world simply cannot step back and realize that they’re living in the 21st century.

It’s a freaking teddy bear! It’s not like she took a shit on the Koran in the middle of the classroom and told her students to refer to it as “Muhammad.” It’s a teddy bear. They’re kids. Lighten the hell up.

Now, protesters are out in the streets in Khartoum, calling for her execution. Her execution! They’re armed with guns and axes and clubs. Over a teddy bear! Sweet shit on a shingle, people, are you out of your minds?

‘This (is) an arrogant woman who came to our country, cashing her salary in dollars, teaching our children hatred of our Prophet Muhammad,” hard-line cleric Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karouri said in a sermon this week. Hatred is a bit of a strong word, Abudl-Jalil. Everyone loves teddy bears. They’re soft and cuddly, something that, judging by your rhetoric, you probably aren’t.

Of course, this reaction to Ms. Gibbons’ actions is not felt across all muslims the world over. According to the New York Times, Muhammad Abdul Bari, who is the secretary general of the Muslim Council in Britain, was quoted as saying that the Sudanese government’s action was a “gross overreaction.” In fact, Muslim organizations all over England denounced the action and called for her release.

Just with any religion, there are hard-liners and those who are more level-headed. Islam is no exception. The next time someone here in America claims that there should be no separation of church and state, I’d ask you to look at stories such as this one from Sudan or even the one out of Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago, where a woman who was gang-raped was sentenced to 200 lashes and a six-month prison sentence. Of course, the men who raped her were sentenced to 1oen to five-year prison sentences for their crime. May I remind you that this is a country that we have favorable diplomatic ties with.

How did she get punished at all, you ask? Well, since Saudi Arabia’s legal system operates under Shariah Law, which is law that is in strict accordance with Islamic law, and one of those laws enforces segregation of unrelated women and men. So, since she was gang-raped by men she was riding in a car with, who she happened not to be related to, she was also punished. Sudan’s legal system operates, to a certain extent, under Shariah Law, as well.

In summation, and you’ll have to excuse my language, I think that both of these instances are f$#king bullshit. I’m not saying that our legal system is perfect. It’s far from it. But at least we don’t punish the victims of gang-rape and have armed protesters in the streets calling for the execution of a woman who allowed a bunch of 7 year-olds to call a teddy bear “Muhammad.”