Archbishop: Commonsense has prevailed in teddy row (From The Northern Echo)

Archbishop: Commonsense has prevailed in teddy row

11:05am Monday 3rd December 2007

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THE Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has said he is glad that commonsense has prevailed following the release of school teacher Gillian Gibbons from a Sudan jail.

The Briton jailed for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Mohammed, was given a presidential pardon this morning.

"I give thanks that common sense has finally prevailed for Gillian Gibbons who has been the victim of misunderstanding and muddled thinking," the Archbishop said.

"For all of us the message must be for people to love the stranger in their community better; to treat with the decency and respect that we would want them to afford to us.

"I am hopeful that for ourselves if we have strangers in our midst, we will do better and treat those different from us with the care, understanding and loving kindness that Gillian displayed to the children she taught.

"I also hope that the same media focus and energy given to Gillian's case may now be directed to helping those people in Darfur and pressure may be applied upon the President to ensure his own people are released from their suffering."

Full story in tomorrow's Northern Echo

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