This was the lead story on BBC News 24 this morning and they devoted over five minutes to it. If this banal little item is the most important news in the world today, we should all be immensely grateful.

Tom Denne, Limanton, France

I think that Ms Gibbons should have been more careful and cautious at the things she did in the Sudan.

I think this has been blown out of proportion and Britain should just leave it be. We should respect the Sudanese judgment of the case.

Then again, i think that Ms Gibbons did not purposefully look to offend.

Viraj Parmar, Watford, England

This story would have never hit the news pre 9-11. How many innocent British prisoners are suffering in jails around the world whose stories deserve to be told? In our so called modern civilized society were people’s reactions can be easily foretold. It is highly predictable that in the islamphobia times we are living in that such a storm in a tea cup story would be front page. So my fellow citizens of our great country who is really backwards? The uneducated Sudanese who call for the teachers head or the educated modern civilized people here whose reactions to this story were predicted prior to telling it. Free thinking you call this? Or systematic brain wash, I think people here resemble hoards of sheep and the media are the shepherds feeding you emotions and reactions as they please.

Tyrone Hislop, London, UK

I'd hold off on requesting a bacon sandwich or ham and eggs if I were you, love.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

Where are the so called voices of Muslim moderates,

This in feeds the idea Islam is a backward decadent religion, repressing women etc.

Why don't muslims give up cars, telephones and other modern convieniences and go ride camels and live in tents

I suppose this will warrant a fatwa

D. Neilson, Kingston, Jamaica

I want to know what agenda the classroom aide had? If the aide was offended by an innocent act of a teacher naming a bear on the behalf of a child's request, then the aide should have spoken to the teacher after the students were dismissed from class.
.

Debra, Whittier, California

I'm running out of patience with all this. Flogging and jailing rape victims, people who make innocent cultural mistakes, how much more backward can a society be? How much MORE sensitive can a culture be toward it's religious views?
Why are all these seemingly Twilight-Zonish scenarios suddenly coming at rapid-fire pace?
I have been 'understanding', I have been tolerant, I have made a most serious effort to be 'culturally aware', but this is all, simply put, ridiculous.

Stimpson, Hollywood Park, Tx

Why doesn't the Western powers just cut off all relations with Sudan ?

P. Ork, Dakar,

I highly commend all the Muslims in Britain for voicing their objections to the radical overreaction by the radical muslim faction in Sudan - and I lay sole blame for this mob on the radical imams who incited the Sudanese to such furor. There is also tremendous invective in the US over this travesty. To invite a possible war over something that should be at most a trivial faux pas is beyond rational belief. It has become quite obvious that the radical faction of muslim leaders must be ousted. Not just in Sudan, but in all Arab based nations - Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc, etc. Unseat these sources of hatred, these promoters of jihad, disalow them the right to preach to the common people and in fairly short order the world could see an entirely different Islam. Then the peace, generosity and acceptance espoused by the more contemporary and moderate Muslims would at least be believable. Stop muslim hatred and secure world peace and brotherhood.

Dan York, Kansas City, USA

It seems the losers in this case are: the children at the school, the muslim faith and the Sudanese government.

One wonders what the reaction would have been if a greater insult had been made. I fear in the future a nuclear Islamic country will lanuch their missiles.

roger, london,

The lesson is: Do not go to Muslim countries.

Mohan, London,

I have a feeling that Sudan my be using Mrs Gibbons as a hostage, I wonder if they will demand MORE aid and UK taxpayers money to free her, but that is the cynic in me.
I hope this is not the case and there is a fraction of decency in Sudan, and she is released without some sort of deal.

Matt, Leeds, UK

Once Gillian is safely home in Europe, Britian should immediately cut all financial aid to that barbaric country. This whole episode is unbelievable beyond words. Why should the West be so generous with their taxpayers' money, when these people hate us and our culture so much? Let the Sudanese earn the money they need to run their backward civilization.

alexandre de verdi, New York, NY

This is a case of jealousy on the part of Miss Gibbon's co-worker. The facts speak for themselves. Miss Gibbons was a very popular teacher with Muslims and Christians alike. What better way to rid him or herself of the "competition". Three things to remember about this case - 1) The children will now be taught by a sub-standard teacher. 2) Other teachers may not be so willing to teach Islamic children because of the potential danger. 3) "Westerners" will only remember the throngs in Sudan calling for Miss Gibbons death.

The real problem with Islam is not Islam itself but the lack of maturity in it's supposed followers.

Greg, Issaquah, WA,

I think an overreaction on the part of the British is in order. Reduced or suspended aid is appropriate. One of the children in the class is reported to have named the bear after himself not the Prophet. A simple investigation would have uncovered the "facts".

George Wilkinson, Dallas, TX

Again, intolerance induced by zealotry prevails - this time in Sudan. History is replete with examples of manipulation of the (often uneducated) masses under the pretext of religious righteousness. The disingenuity of the Sudanese court demonstrates the crucial need for absolute and global separation of church and state. No court beholden to ANY religion, is capable of rendering independent or objective verdicts. Clearly, mankind has not learned much from its history. It is long overdue to redirect our focus to objective education, rooted in factual truths...

Martin Land, Alton, IL, USA