Posted on 12/03/2007 12:02:39 PM PST by Cecily
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- A British teacher convicted of insulting religion in Sudan by allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Mohammed" has left Khartoum on a flight home, the British Foreign Office said Monday.
Gillian Gibbons, freed after Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir granted her a presidential pardon earlier Monday, earlier apologized for any distress her actions may have caused.
"I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress," Gibbons said, in a statement read out by Sayeeda Warsi, one of two Muslim lawmakers who traveled out to Sudan to secure her release.
Gibbons, 54, was sentenced to 15 days in jail last Thursday. Without a pardon, she would have remained in jail another six days.
She left Sudan on an Emirates flight to London via Dubai hours after the courts ruled she should be deported after completing her sentence.
The Briton will land early on Tuesday morning at London's Heathrow Airport where she is expected to make a statement to the media.
Gibbons also praised the "kindness and generosity" of the Sudanese and said she would be sad to leave her job at Unity High School and said she would miss her students "terribly."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I don't! Glad she is safe and sound, but she should take the nutters who started this mess to task. Of course that would endanger any teachers remaining in Sudan and she'd probably have to go into hiding....
She was still within reach of the throat-cutters when she was apologizing. And arguably, in Britain, she still is. Who knows how she really feels about the situation.
Statements made under duress don’t count.
I’m with you. She has nothing to be apologizing for and embarassed about since she did no wrong. I hope her students did not get punished. Thank God she is out and okay. I wouldn’t be unhappy to leave such a backward place as the Sudan.
She says she has “great respect” for the Islamic religion?
What Islamic religion is she speaking of?
The one that wanted to jail her for the simple act of naming a teddy bear “Mohammed”?
The one that punishes (in the case of Saudi Arabia) a rape victim with 200 lashes?
Yikes!
There. Fixed it.
Probably what she had to say to get away from Muslim scum.
My guess is she’s a bleeding heart lib, and means every word she says.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
They should spray the place down with DDT after she leaves.
Good, now cut off ALL U.S. and U. K. foreign aid. The rag-head “leadership” must know there are consequences to bad behavior.
Why else Sudan ?
Unfortunately a lot of people give Islam a pass....the “Islam is a religion of peace” mantra is popular among liberals and globalists.
I dont know whether this woman has Stockholm Syndrome, wacky liberalism, or whatever. However, she and every Islamophile better take notice that Islam is nothing but hate
I mean, they want to kill someone over a teddy bear...
Right. I beleive she was thining “a head”. (hahaha at my morbid muslim humor)
thinking
She might have to go into hiding in Britain. Don’t forget, it is quite Muzlim these days, and the nuts who spew at the mosques are there, too.
I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distressTranslation: Please, oh please, oh pretty please don't FATWA me!!!
I have a problem with fatwas, especially after chili.
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