London - British teacher Gillian Gibbons has been charged by Sudanese authorities with insulting religion and inciting hatred, the Foreign Office in London confirmed Wednesday. Foreign Secretary David Miliband was to summon the Sudanese ambassador as a "matter of urgency," the Foreign office said.
The 54-year-old teacher was arrested in Khartoum Sunday after she allowed her 6 and 7-year-old pupils at the capital's Unity School to name their class teddy bear Mohammed.
The arrest came after a complaint was made to the Sudanese Ministry of Education.
Reports in Britain said Gibbons would appear in court as early as Thursday.
"I can confirm Gillian Gibbons has been charged under article 125 of the Sudanese Criminal Code. The charges are insulting religion and inciting hatred," said a spokesman for the Foreign Office.
It was reported earlier Wednesday that a boy in Gibbon's class defended the teacher, saying the proposal to give the teddy the name Mohammed came from him.
"The teacher asked me what I wanted to call the teddy. I said Mohammed. I named it after my name," the boy told reporters adding that Gibbons was "very nice," the boy was reported as saying.
He said he was not thinking about Islam's prophet when he named the bear and a majority of the class agreed to name the stuffed animal Mohammed as well.
Cartoon depictions of the prophet Mohammed printed in a Danish newspaper last year sparked massive protests around the Muslim world.
The case has caused uproar in Britain, where politicians and churchmen have condemned the arrest of the teacher from Liverpool.
The charge against her came despite earlier signs that Gibbons could be released.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that efforts were being made to "clarify the position so that she can be released soon."
