Teddy Bears and their potentially dangerous consequences

Like many people, I am fairly staggered and intensely disappointed about the decision to jail Gillian Gibbons to fifteen days in jail in Sudan. Here is a link to an article on the matter from the think-tank Ekklesia that may be of interest to folk. My concern is that these little stupidities and intolerances being shown by some sections within the Muslim world are slowly mounting up to the point where it becomes increasingly impossible for many people in countries such as the UK to see the many potential positive aspects of Islam. Then, if the proverbial shit hits the fan and another major terrorist attack occurs under the name of Islam, I am fearful that a dangerous polarisation will occur. Of course one expects young thuggish right wingers to go further to the right but what if the educated middle-classes also shift suddenly to the right?

If that happens those of us who call ourselves liberal (whether religious or not) and wish to help re-negiotiate the secular space for the twenty-first century are going to have the mother of all hills to climb and in some very unpleasant weather too.