Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher convicted of insulting religion in Sudan by allowing her students to name a teddy bear “Mohammed”, has left Khartoum on a flight home, the British Foreign Office said on Monday.

Gibbons was freed after Sudan President Omar al-Bashir granted her a presidential pardon Monday.

She apologized for any distress that her actions may have caused.

“I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone, and I am sorry if I caused any distress,” Gibbons said in a statement read by Sayeeda Warsi, one of two Muslim lawmakers who traveled to Sudan to secure her release.

Gibbons was sentenced to 15 days in jail last Thursday. Without pardon, Gibbons would have remained in jail for another six days.

She left Sudan on an Emirates flight to London via Dubai, hours after the courts ruled she should be deported after completing her sentence.

Gibbons will land early on Tuesday morning at London’s Heathrow Airport, where she is expected to make a statement to the media.

Gibbons also praised the “kindness and generosity” of the Sudanese and said that she was sad to leave her job at Unity High School and would miss her students” terribly.”

A British teacher was found guilty of insulting religion and sent her to 15 days in prison in Sudan. The reason? She allowed a teddy bear to be named “Mohammed”

Her lawyer told CNN that Gillian Gibbons also faces deportation from Sudan after her prison term. He said that he was “very disappointed” with the verdict and that Gillian plans to appeal. Though convicted of insulting religion. Gibbons was not for two other charges brought against her; inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.

Gibbons was arrested Sunday after asking her class of 7-year-old in Khartoum to name the stuffed animal as part of a school project. Though there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed, likenesses are considered highly offensive by Muslims.

The courthouse, where a dazed and somber Gibbons arrived for her closed hearing early Thursday, was heavily guarded by police; they kept journalists, and for a while even one of her lawyers, at bay.

Gibbons could have faced a sentence of 40 lashes, a fine, or a jail term of up to a year, according to the Foreign Office, which expressed Britain’s dissatisfaction with the verdict .

“We are extremely disappointed that the charges against Gillian Gibbons were not dismissed,” Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict was announced.

“As I said this morning, our clear view is that this is an innocent misunderstanding by a dedicated teacher. Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons’ welfare, and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her. I have called in the Sudanese ambassador, Omer Siddig, this evening to explain the decision and discuss next steps.”

The complaint came from one of the staff members where Gibbons works and Robert Boulos, the head of Unity High School said he was horrified when he found out it was from another staff member and not from a parent as originally thought. Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint came from Sarah Khawad, a secretary at the school.

He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats.

Offensive or not?

These types of things is exactly what irks me about religion. Why is it offensive if something has the likeness of a Prophet if it is not meant in a derogatory way. Shouldn’t the children be sentenced to 15 days as well? After all — they were the ones that named the teddy bear.

Shouldn’t it be considered an honor that someone names a teddy bear after a Prophet? Do they even know what a Teddy Bear Stands for? It often serves the purpose of comforting children. Naming the Teddy Bear Mohammed would only mean that the children find comfort in their religion.

Does this mean that every woman who named their child Mohammed (or any other form of the name) should be sent to jail as well?

What do you think?