Muhammad

Muhammad is the name of the last prophet of God, according to Islamic belief. He received revelation of the Qur'an over a period of 23 years, led the young Muslim community with wisdom, and left behind teachings to guide future generations. He is respected, though not worshipped, among all Muslims.

Muhammad is also the name of millions of men and boys throughout the world. Some are devout and sincere. Some aren't.

Muhammad is the name given by Sudanese 7-year olds to a teddy bear. Some of the children may have been named Muhammad. Others may have fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins with that name. All Muslim children, by the age of 7, have heard about Prophet Muhammad and the respect he is due.

They didn't name the bear after a soccer player or TV star. They didn't go with Fluffy, Chubby, or any other cute little name. They--these 7 year olds--gave the bear the name they knew the best. Muhammad.

The Christian teacher allowed the 7 year olds to give that name. Now the teacher is in prison, facing a prison term, a fine, or even possibly a lashing.

I am a Muslim. If I were teaching 7 year olds and they wanted to name the class teddy bear or hamster Muhammad, I would praise them for their Islamic awareness. After consideration, I may encourage them to choose something else--maybe one of those cute names. But I certainly wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

The teacher's fault, if any, is that she didn't understand the repercussions. Maybe if the children had suggested "Jesus" she would have known. But she didn't. Then why don't we teach her instead of imprisoning her?

And the children were innocent. They were only doing what their Muslim parents had taught them--to remember the prophet Muhammad, whom we respect. For a 7 year old, naming a teddy bear is indeed an act of respect.