Sudan protesters demand execution of teacher

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and swords and beating drums, burned pictures of a British teacher Friday and demanded her execution for insulting Islam by letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Sudan’s Islamic government, which has long whipped up anti-Western sentiment at home, was balancing between fueling outrage over the case of Gillian Gibbons and containing it.

In response to the rally in central Khartoum, Gibbons was moved from the women’s prison across the Nile in Oumdurman to a secret location.

The 54-year-old Gibbons, who was sentenced to 15 days in jail, spoke Friday with her son John in Britain by telephone.

“One of the things my mum said today was that I don’t want any resentment towards Muslims,” the son said. “She’s holding up quite well.”