| American Islamic Congress Calls for Continued Pressure on Sudan Following Teacher's Release |
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Dec. 3, 2007 – The American Islamic Congress today welcomed the release of Gillian Gibbons from a Sudanese jail and insisted that the international community seize the moment to protect innocent lives.
“Gillian Gibbons should not have spent even one minute in jail,” said Nasser Weddady, the organization’s Civil Rights Outreach Director. “Thankfully, the international community did not buy into the Sudanese regime’s efforts to manipulate Muslim public opinion worldwide.”
The American Islamic Congress has been outspoken on Gibbons’s case since she was arrested, condemning the Sudanese regime for trivializing the feelings of Muslims worldwide. Last week, the organization launched a letter-writing campaign to Sudanese officials demanding Gibbons’s immediate release.
“Sudan has shown that it responds to international pressure, which now needs to be re-doubled,” Weddady stated. “This regime is responsible for the killing of thousands of boys named Muhammad in Darfur. Like Ms. Gibbons, these innocent civilians need powerful diplomats to protect them.”
Weddady rejected the suggestion that Gibbons was naive and should have been more careful not to offend religious and cultural “sensibilities.” Instead, he emphasized the need to re-double a commitment to protecting free expression.
“Gibbons made no mistake – there was nothing inherently offensive to Muslims in what happened in her classroom,” Weddady argued. “And even if her actions did offend some people, there is no excuse for jailing someone over a stuffed animal. If we take from this incident that people should be afraid and self-censor, we will be allowing Khartoum’s remote-controlled angry mobs to have the last word.”
The American Islamic Congress is a civil-rights organization promoting tolerance and the exchange of ideas among Muslims and between other peoples. With the motto “passionate about moderation,” the organization leads initiatives around the world and has offices in Washington, Boston, Egypt, and Iraq.
Contact: Jina Hassan, +1.617.266.0080
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