Sadly, though unsurprisingly, the situation in Sudan involving a teacher arrested for “Inciting hatred and insulting religion” by allowing her class to name a teddy bear “Muhammad” has gotten considerably worse.

Some angrily denounced the teacher, but others smiled as they beat drums and burned newspapers with Gibbons’ picture, waving swords and clubs and green banners, the color of Islam.

Chants of “Kill her!” and “No tolerance: Execution!” rang out as hundreds of police in riot gear stood by, keeping the crowd contained but not moving against the rally.

Protesters dismissed Gibbons’ claims that she didn’t mean to insult the prophet.

“It is a premeditated action, and this unbeliever thinks that she can fool us?” said Yassin Mubarak, a young dreadlocked man swathed in green and carrying a sword. “What she did requires her life to be taken.”

Surprised? I thought so.

I realize that the idea that Ms. Gibbon’s actions causing such a furor may be difficult to understand for the rest of us. Therefore, I’ve devised the easy-to-follow graphic below, designed to educate the difference between an acceptable action (i.e. shouting about things, burning things) and a nefarious, unforgivable sin (i.e. drawing a cartoon):

Any questions?