British teacher Gillian Gibbons' exercise in classroom democracy -- having her students vote on a name for a teddy bear; they picked Muhammad -- has her facing charges of insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.
Sudan's top clerics have called for the full measure of the law to be used against Mrs Gibbons and labelled her actions part of a Western plot against Islam.
"What has happened was not haphazard or carried out of ignorance, but rather a calculated action and another ring in the circles of plotting against Islam," the Sudanese Assembly of the Ulemas said in a statement.
The semi-official clerics body is considered relatively moderate and is believed to have the ear of the Sudanese government.
A Sudanese human rights lawyer and Member of Parliament countered that Mrs Gibbons may be acquitted or simply fined under the discretion of the magistrate.
"It is not imperative to lash her, it is not imperative to send her to prison," said Ghazi Suleiman. "But I think the lady, she hasn't got any intention to insult the Islamic religion, therefore I am sure, very sure that if she went to the court she might be acquitted."