(2007-11-30) — As a Sudanese court handed down a 15-day jail sentence for a British women convicted of allowing school children to name a teddy bear after The Prophet of Islam, Mattel Toys announced today it would delay the launch of its much-anticipated ‘Tickle Me Muhammad’ toy line.
The teacher, Gillian Gibbons, 54, narrowly escaped 40 lashes, six months in prison and a fine, thanks to the mercy of the Islamic court which instead commended her to the care of the Sudanese penal system where she’ll be one of 1,200 women and children incarcerated in a mosquito-infested prison built to hold about 200.
A Mattel spokesman said the Sudan teddy bear case has caused the company to “rethink the propriety of the planned pre-Christmas release of Tickle Me Muhammad,” which it described as “a cuddly adorable friend, with a long plush beard and a puffy turban, who laughs uncontrollably when you touch him almost anywhere.”
“We really thought it would help soften the image of Muslims,” said the unnamed Mattel source, “and help to bring about the peaceful world order which they have been fighting for almost non-stop over the past 1,400 years.”
69 responses so far ↓
1 JamesonLewis3rd // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:42 am
God Bless America
2 Hawkeye // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:45 am
I find it truly ironic that you can’t name a Teddy Bear “Muhammad” yet 1 out of 5 Muslims seems to be named “Muhammad” (or some variation thereof). If I was Muhammad I think I’d rather have the cute, cuddly bear named after me than thousands of violent murderers.
3 Hawkeye // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:47 am
P.S.– Funny piece Scott.
4 charmingtail // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:06 am
Can I still get the Jihad Joe?
5 seneuba // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:14 am
I thought a robot-like transformer would be more a appropriate likeness. Looks like an ordinary citizen until it receives instructions from Allah – then it transforms into something that flies into buildings and explodes.
6 Beerme // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:30 am
Calling that bear Muhammed is way worser than what them Janjaweed fellers is doin’! Y’all needs some perspective…
7 mig // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:52 am
WWJD?
8 Maggie // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:54 am
Hmmmm? What would they have done had she named the teddy bear after my uncle Doggies’ goat “El Stinko”.
9 Maggie // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:01 am
Mig,
Jesus already took the forty lashes for her.I hope she knows that.
10 Just Ranting // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:03 am
Boy, can’t you just wait until these clowns go nuclear?
11 Libby Gone // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:08 am
I was rather disappointed that the action accessories were delayed due to a lack of lead in the paint. I was truly looking forward to the Winny the Kaboom belt and vest I ordered with my ‘Care Bear”.
12 Fred Sinclair // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:28 am
I’ll donate to anyone who will get the Teddy Bears and have them outfitted with “Muhammad” shirts and tiny copies of the Koran in their paws. To send to Club “Gitmo” for distribution to each of the inmates as “Christmas Gifts”.
Teddy Bears are known to bring much “comfort and joy” to little kids, so I’m sure they would help ease the anguish and stress of ‘torture’ by giving the inmates at least something to turn to for a tangible “Higher Power” to ease their ‘pain and suffering’ at Christmastime – surely their hour of greatest need.
Heirborn Ranger
13 da Bunny // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:48 am
“Tickle Me Muhammad,†which it described as “a cuddly adorable friend, with a long plush beard and a puffy turban…”
Totally OT…I think we should send Jimmy Carter down to Venezuela to monitor the election for his buddy Hugo…
14 Fred Sinclair // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:51 am
Ever hear a joke about a priest, a rabbi and an Imam going into a bar? NO cause they had to leave the Imam outside.
Heirborn Ranger
15 Just Ranting // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:54 am
Can you imagine what they would have done to her if she had read to the class from “Charlotte’s Web”?
16 Fred Sinclair // Nov 30, 2007 at 11:20 am
Excerpt from comment posted on ACE OF SPADES HQ (with cleaned up language)
“It’s not the behavior of a bunch of ignorant barbarians that’s shocking. Savages are supposed to be savage. It’s the reaction of the so-called “developed” nations. Lord Palmerston or Theodore Roosevelt would have known what to do if a missionary lady was threatened by Mohammedan barbarians for violating their obscure customs.
Gunboats in the Nile and a terse telegram to the local Sultan. “Either Gibbons is out of there safe and unharmed – or YOU ARE NOT!”
Heirborn Ranger
17 JamesonLewis3rd // Nov 30, 2007 at 11:22 am
The Mohammedan cowers in slavering, whimpering, abject fear before a child’s toy named “Mohammed” . Okay, I can visualize that.
Believe it or not, I still have my snuggly Jesus Christ bear from my childhood though I think I ate one of his eyeballs or something at some point in time because he is perpetually winking at me.
18 Ms RightWing, Ink // Nov 30, 2007 at 11:23 am
I own a big “collectors” teddy bear and guess what, I used to call him Jeremiah, but now he is officially Mohamed. I am waiting for the mountain to come to him.
19 Libby Gone // Nov 30, 2007 at 1:09 pm
You ever just want to say to these blunt skulls…..
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
?
Lets hope the ACLU jumps all over the stuffed animal industry. Oh and where is the outrage from “NOW”?
20 Ms RightWing, Ink // Nov 30, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Gunman Holds Hostages At Clinton Office
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/14737959/detail.html
This may prove interesting.
[Editor's Note: Please continue to pray for the hostages (who have been, apparently, released as of 3:15 p.m. EDT), for the law enforcement officials who lay their lives on the line, and for the perpetrator.]
21 woodnwheel // Nov 30, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Just Ranting // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:54 am
Can you imagine what they would have done to her if she had read to the class from “Charlotte’s Web�
LOL!
JL3: re. 17: “snuggly Jesus Christ bear” reminds me of this story I read yesterday…
22 Ms RightWing, Ink // Nov 30, 2007 at 3:51 pm
re:20
I’m afraid we will see much more of this craziness before the election year is over. My only surprise is it is directed toward the left side of the fence.
My prayers, of course is always for the safety of others. After the cave man released another message yesterday, who knows what will happen
23 Unworthy1 // Nov 30, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Fortunately, there is no waiting in line to get another great new toy – Cabbage Patch Clinton. I’m getting both Bill and Hillary. My dog loves ‘em.
24 Possumtrot // Nov 30, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Sudan is definitely off the list of tourist destinations for the immediate future.
This unbelieveable spectacle would be laughable if it wasn’t so creepy. Let’s hope the British SAS doesn’t have to pay these lunatics a visit to safely retrieve this poor woman. On second thought, that might be a capital idea.
I have a stuffed bear whose original name was “Humphrey”. I also have a Coca-Colaâ„¢ polar bear, and a friendly-looking stuffed buzzard that provides endless amusement guarding the headboard of my bed. It seems only fitting that I re-name all of them “Mohammed” now. The vulture seems especially appropriate. If Lonesome Sammy The Big Wrong Dog didn’t already answer to his name, I’d consider changing that, too.
Re: Ms. RW and Great Scott’s note at #20, it looks like it’s time to go chase news links. I turned the TV off at dawn, disgusted with the Sudanese circus.
Well, as they say on FOX news, you miss a day, you miss a lot.
Hopefully, Ms. Gibbons and the hostages are all right.
The world just seems to spiral more out of control every day.
25 Darthmeister // Nov 30, 2007 at 4:30 pm
The liberal media is loathed to report the Muslim fundamentalists flooding the Arab street calling for the execution of the school teacher who named a Teddy bear Mohammed. Just one more example of how Islam is the “religion of peace.” I guess a Burqa Barbie will be a big hit with these people.
Hope they throw the book at this nutbag who walked into Clinton’s N.H. Office. The last thing we need is for people getting hurt or killed and for Hillary to play this for sympathy votes aided and abetted by the liberal media.
DemDonks should keep in mind their lack of outrage when their precious Democratic union thugs in Florida broke into a Republican precinct headquarters ransacked it and broke the wrist of one staffer.
I also remember the Donks pooh-poohing clear evidence of gunfire into Republican headquarters in Huntington, W. Virginia. The media only reported this story on the day it happened … then they promptly forgot it. Figures. Let’s see how long the liberal media tries to milk this singular event.
More documented Democratic voting fraud and intimidation with the few Republican ones that can actually be documented – as contrasted to the typically phony charges of Republican “intimidation” you find at moonbat blogsites.
26 JamesonLewis3rd // Nov 30, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Sudan Teddy is now appearing nightly at a third-rate comedy club in Las Vegas NV.
27 JamesonLewis3rd // Nov 30, 2007 at 5:05 pm
At a press conference this afternoon, Sudan Teddy declared that, no matter what anybody says, he is not Mohammed.
28 JamesonLewis3rd // Nov 30, 2007 at 5:12 pm
When asked by the bulging, ravenous crowd of microphone-wielding media-types why he was so bigoted and hate-filled, Sudan Teddy said, “Uh…..what!?!“
29 Fred Sinclair // Nov 30, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Sudan: bombarded, not with bombs but with uncountable teddy bears. Wonder what the turban disadvantaged leaders would think if hundreds of thousands of “Prophet Muhannoud Teddybears” from All European countries, America, Canada, England, etc. complete with tiny Korans in their paws began to arrive en masse? (I’d buy one) – how does something like this get started – let the kids in on it and they’re just contrary enough to take up the cause – if only to watch millions of bears being delivered to the Sudan on You Tube.
Heirborn Ranger
30 Darthmeister // Nov 30, 2007 at 6:28 pm
[Editor's Note: When quoting other information sources, please use brief excerpts and link to the (family-friendly) original source. Thank You.]
31 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Just a minute here, I am confused ( ET is elated by this admission,no doubt). The news story I read stated that the muslim students in her class are responsible for selecting the name of the bear. If this is correct, what is all of the fuss about? I tell you what it is, it is a trumped up excuse to KILL an innocent NON-MUSLIM infidel. It is pretend outrage and the only motive is hate. I wonder what would happen if this teacher was teaching the little boys and/or girls that Mohammed was the true infidel ? Probably an all-out jihad on Great Britain!! This “religion” is incompatable with civilized societies. Religion without Jesus Christ is as dangerous as anything else on this planet,that would include the modern enviromental religion, and a whole host of other movements not generally thought of as being religions.
Looking for peace ? Look to the Lord Jesus Christ and you will find peace. Trying to have peace without him ? All you will end up with is pieces, a broken life, unhappiness, like our trolls that come here kicking and screaming in their misery.
LIFE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST IS MISERY.
32 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:21 pm
chermingtale – YES, in fact a genuine Jihad Joe is triangulating on your coordinants right now!
33 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:23 pm
er….tail. Sorry ’bout that.
34 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Instead of debating I would rather see each candidate take around 30 minutes to give us an idea as to how they compete in the arena of ideas. What motivates them to seek the office and all that they are just itching to accomplish for the good of America, not do for the people of America via some new program. The founding fathers did not come aound espousing great government programs, rather the things that enable this country to become great. Real thinkers that wanted a great country, not a great handout scheme.
35 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Instead of calling them debates, give the program a name. Like, “Jockeying for Soundbites” or “Porturing for Political Prosperity”.
36 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:38 pm
umm, posturing…
37 conserve-a-tips // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I still have my daughter’s Teddy Ruxpin up in the closet for the day when I have a grandchild. I think that I’ll just leave him with his regular name.
38 conserve-a-tips // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:46 pm
MKK and Charming: Do you think that Baghdad Barbie is watching Jihad Joe?
39 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Ms. Gibbons was very dissappointed that she had to leave her young students before her Home Economics lesson on making BLT’s and Pulled Pork sandwiches. I believe she had planned an entire semester on “stretching your food dollars with pork” also.
40 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:50 pm
c-a-t, that’s awfully sexist of you to think !!
They are dedicated soldiers on a mission…
41 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I believe she prefers to be called Battlefield Barbie, or Barb…that sounds meaner.
42 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:55 pm
One thing we know,thanks to the president of Iran, Jihad James isn’t watching Jihad Joe.
43 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Even if she is, the relationship will most likely “blow up” on them ……and a few others.
44 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Fade in – Disney’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”.
45 Beerme // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:14 pm
I have a nice bear rug on my wall. I kill’t him with my trusty bow and arrow a few years back.
I think I am going to name him Muhammad. ..
46 Darthmeister // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Townhall.com and AP aren’t family friendly? Okay, maybe the latter isn’t.
I’ll try it again. This from Yahoo:
[Editor's Note: The purpose of the earlier editor's note was to encourage ScrappleFace commenters to post only brief excerpts of work from other sources and link to those sources. This is a common courtesy followed far too infrequently online. For example, many websites, blogs and forums post complete ScrappleFace stories without links to the original, thereby enjoying the value of the product without directing traffic to the producer. We, therefore, take unilateral action to give credit and send traffic where it is due.]
A law enforcement official confirmed to The Associated Press earlier that the suspect’s name was Leeland Eisenberg, and said Eisenberg was an older man known around the town to be mentally unstable.
… Eisenberg made local headlines in March when he held a news conference on the steps of Rochester City Hall to complain about a police policy of placing fliers in unlocked cars warning motorists to lock their doors.
“This is nothing more than a gimmick to get around the Constitution and go around in the middle of the night upon unsuspecting citizens in their own yard and search their vehicles,” Eisenberg said.
This guy sounds like a very disturbed person … and a self-appointed activist. Always the tinderbox for something goofy to happen . Looks like he just surrendered without incident. Donk, Repub or whatever, it probably has more to do with his mental state than his politics … maybe.
47 gafisher // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Sounds seriously disturbed to me. MoveOn-dot-organism, perhaps.
48 Ms RightWing, Ink // Nov 30, 2007 at 8:59 pm
And to top it all off daredevil Evel Knievel ups and dies
http://www.newsnet5.com/entertainment/14740026/detail.html
49 Ms RightWing, Ink // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Perhaps Knievel’s most notable stunt came in western Wyoming in 1974, with his failed jump over the Snake River Canyon with a rocket.
Ouch, I tried to jump my powerchair over Wolf Creek, a small tributary here in town. It took rescuers 4 days to dig me out of the mud.
Life just isn’t fair.
50 conserve-a-tips // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Ms Rightwing, Ink: I tried jumping my cucumber plants in the garden (when I slipped and wanted to avoid hitting the sharp tomato cages) and I ended up with knee surgery!!!!! I always thought he was a nut.
Darthmeister: According to the reports, he is a libertarian who has been complaining that the government had put a chip in his head and were following him. Yep, I’d say he is seriously deranged. Of course, the 72 hours of drinking prior to his criminal act probably didn’t do much for the brain cells.
MKK: She’d have been ok with Babs, but didn’t want to be mistaken for a Hillary endorser.
51 Ms RightWing, Ink // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Have you lost an illegal lately–track them with Fed-Ex. Thank you Newt for your wisdom
52 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Suffice it to say that he (hostage guy) isn’t playing with a full deck seeing as he went to one of sHrillary’s campain offices. That right there tells you he’s a nut case.
53 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Perhaps we should syart referring to President Bush only as Mohammed, call him our prophet. That oughta pop a few muslim blood vessels.
54 MajorDomo // Nov 30, 2007 at 9:56 pm
I gotta wonder about a religion whose god is so weak that he needs mere mortals to fight his battles for him; one who needs the promise of virgins in order to get followers; and whose major prophet can’t take a joke!
55 conserve-a-tips // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:01 pm
MajorDomo: Just the fact that their god doesn’t like bacon is enough to turn me off!!
56 Fred Sinclair // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Latest Scientific News Release:
It is amazing – the latest consensus of Scientist claim to have proof of the most amazing jump in the history of the evolutionary chain. It seems that by some unexplainable, unknown twist of logic there are a great number of amoebas who have made the jump to human form in only one generation.
Unfortunately for them the evolutionary leap (bypassing millions of generations) allowed for the physical bodies to make the jump but they retained the brains of their ancestor. With the brain of an amoeba – we know them today as the democrat species. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, etc., are sorry examples of some who had a very difficult evolution.
Their IQ tests are inconclusive as the tests do not rate IQ’s below the minus 100 mark. The first clue to identifying these unusual specimens are most easily identified by their claiming to “believe” in Algore’s Gospel of Manmade Global Warming – they’re really religious fanatics for that religion.
Heirborn Ranger
57 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:08 pm
And true followers of Christ are not religious, therefore they cannot be catagorized as fanatics. I, the mindknumbed kid, have told you, so you might as well accept it.
58 prettyold // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:12 pm
MKK #35, How about “Dancing Around The Truth”,both parties seem to have that down tap…errr pat.
59 mindknumbed kid // Nov 30, 2007 at 10:18 pm
With some minor tweeking they could have some hit shows with those silly debatcles.
60 Fred Sinclair // Dec 1, 2007 at 6:37 am
mnk #57 – right on. Couldn’t be more accurate. I ran into that during my 11+ years on active duty in the Air Force.
They needed to “classify” me with a letter on my dog-tags.
“What’s your religion?”
“None”.
“You’re an Atheist?”
“No, I’m a Christian. the very antithesis of religion.”
This always gave me an opening to witness. “Every religion on earth by definition is a system of man seeking god. Christianity, on the other hand, is God seeking man, see? Diametrically opposed to each other.”
I pushed the point and instead of a P,C or J – Finally agreed to “Baptist” (I still have them).
The truly sad fact is there is a number of formerly Christian Churches, who by dint of hard work and perseverance have converted their Faith into a religion.
A religion of works, “Do this, don’t do that” as they slowly work their way into a position whereby they’ve become ‘worthy’ or ‘deserving’ of salvation, someday. (Hopefully, if they can catch God in a good mood, on the day they die.)
Of course, this satanic teaching flies in the teeth of The Bible – Specifically Eph. 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph. 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Heirborn Ranger
61 Fred Sinclair // Dec 1, 2007 at 6:47 am
mnk # 59 Where did that “t” come from? Did it start out as ‘debate’ and switched horses in midstream?
debacle |diˈbakəl; -ˈbäkəl|
noun
a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.
Heirborn Ranger
62 Darthmeister // Dec 1, 2007 at 10:04 am
Fred Sinclair,
We’ve yet to plumb the depths of the primordial slime to liberal humanity link which punctuated equilibria is to have produced. I bet there’s a lot of evidence waiting to be discovered about that “evolutionary step.”
My apologies to primordial slime.
63 Darthmeister // Dec 1, 2007 at 10:38 am
Expert economist Garrison Keillor’s take on the subprime mortage debacle is debunked here.
A synopsis of Brookings Institution’s perspective on subprime mortgages
Federal Reserve Chairman’s view of subprime mortgages as reported by the Economist online.
Subprime mortgages given to people who wouldn’t normally qualify for a traditional mortgage was not an act of compassion when they began and expanded under the Clinton administration, they are just plain stupid. There’s a reason why mortgages haven’t been handed out to financially strapped people like candy to babies with tooth decay.
The collapse of the subprime mortgage idiocy has indeed caused a ripple effect throughout capital markets around the world.
64 Darthmeister // Dec 1, 2007 at 10:44 am
The Keillor debunking is here. Sorry for the glitch, I don’t know how the other link was put in place when I thought I copied and pasted the Powerlineblog permalink.
Scott, I keep getting some kind of error message when I post and apparently some of the links I give are being corrupted or replaced when I’m on your site. I think we have a major case of informational entropy here.
65 mindknumbed kid // Dec 1, 2007 at 11:03 am
Fred – Very observant, it could have been a typo, God knows I type or hunt and peck poorly at times, but I intentionally blended the two words thinking it to be a good description of them there shows. Hence, the word is now debatcle.
66 mindknumbed kid // Dec 1, 2007 at 5:36 pm
There is a river flowing from the throne of God it contains his love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and truths. It flows out toward man without restriction. Along comes man, man creates systems and rules which complicates the simplicity of God’s salvation, that is called religion. Religion is a diversion or dam in the river flowing from God to us.
The best illustration of this is the woman from Samaria (John chapter 4), she truly had a thirst for God, but the “religious” leaders of Samaria told her one way to get to him, while the other “religious” leaders from Israel said you had to go another way to get to him. She was miserable and living a life of sin and confusion.
She desired a life with peace and knowledge of truth, but religion confused her to the point that she was trying to find happiness the only ways she could think of, through the decietfullness of sin. But then she met the Savior, he opened up the flow of the river of God. It changed her life.
You see, it was the reigious teachers that caused her confusion and kept her in sin. I submit unto you that God hates anything that causes people who want to know him to be confused and kept in sin and darkness.
By accepting Jesus Christ into your life, trusting what he did on the cross as payment for your sin, you can have an open relationship with the God that created all things.
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:8,9
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom 10:13
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John3:17,18
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John3:36
67 mindknumbed kid // Dec 1, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour fot that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight in fatness.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 53:1,2,6,7
68 ‘Mohammed’ Bear = 15 days in jail in Sudan at Joanne Jacobs // Dec 1, 2007 at 8:26 pm
[...] II: Scrappleface reports that plans for a “Tickle Me Muhammad” doll have been put on [...]
69 Mike Wilson » Blog Archive » Sudan Teddy Case Stalls ‘Tickle Me Muhammad’ Launch // Nov 22, 2008 at 12:45 am
[...] Ott’s the master: Sudan Teddy Case Stalls ‘Tickle Me Muhammad’ LaunchSudan Teddy Case Stalls ‘Tickle Me Muhammad’ Launchby Scott Ott for [...]
You must log in to post a comment.