Read More Atheist Republic A teacher at a UK grammar school was suspended over a mug depicting an image of the Prophet Muhammad. The unnamed teacher from Colchester Royal Grammar School in Essex was photographed carrying the mug in the playground.
The same mug has also been repeatedly “shown off” during class discussions, The Daily Mail reported.
The mug features an image from the cartoon series Jesus and Mo.
A spokesman for the school said they have been “notified that an image has been shared online of an individual appearing to use a cup that has an offensive image on it.”
“While we cannot comment on individuals, this will be reviewed in line with our policies and procedures and the appropriate robust action taken as necessary,” the spokesman added. The school also promised to take “robust action” against the incident.
The spokesman also said that the teacher is “currently away from the school.”
The picture on the mug features the headline of the cartoon series. The cartoon is a “weekly comic strip, dealing in religious satire.”
Depictions in the cartoon are reminiscent of Jesus, Moses, the Prophet Muhamad, and the “Barmaid,” who’s never depicted.
In an email to Atheist Republic News Team, Mo Jones, whose real name we cannot publish, called the suspension unfair. “I do not think the suspension was fair or proportionate, given what is publicly known about the case,” Jones said in his email.
“We should not be encouraging or respecting religious taboos held by a few fanatics,” he recommended dauntlessly.
Jones also said that Britain has no blasphemy laws. “It is not an Islamophobic mug,” he added. “Clearly, someone has it in for this teacher and uses “his mug as a weapon to hit him with.”
“Whatever the reason, I am not happy about it,” Jones added.
The Daily Mail also reported that the image was taken weeks prior and circulated online. The school is reacting with a suspension because of the “growing concern from students.”
Scarlett Mansfield, a former student who claimed that Colchester Royal Grammar School is plagued with sexist behavior, said she’s not surprised by the school’s action. “Everyone has known for ages that this teacher is completely like that,” she said.
“It was more audacious that they decided to bring it into the classroom so directly,” she added. Mansfield added that the mug was “emblematic of the pervasive culture” she was talking about previously.
Jones also stated that everyone has the freedom to react negatively to his cartoons. “But those people need to bear in mind that they are not the target audience,” he said. Jones added that in terms of comparison, his character Mo is much more lovable than the “slave-owning warlord depicted in Islamic scripture.”
“To everyone who enjoys the cartoons, I thank you for reading them,” Jones added.