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Date: Jun 25, 2007
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THE ARTICLE

Anger over Rushdie knighthood continues

The controversy over the British knighthood of prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is escalating. The leader of Iran’s parliament has said Britain defied a UN resolution that says nations must not inflame religious tensions. Rushdie became a figure of hate across much of the Islamic world after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ in 1989. Many Muslims felt the novel insulted their religion and Iran's revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomenei issued a fatwa calling for his death. An Iranian religious leader has reminded worshippers that Khomeini's fatwa was still in place. He said: "In Islamic Iran, the revolutionary fatwa of [Khomeini] is still alive and cannot be changed. They [Britain] have honoured him only because he insulted the Prophet. In such a situation, honouring him means confronting 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

Tensions and anger are particularly high in Pakistan, where a group of businessmen have offered a $150,000 reward for Rushdie’s head. The leader of the Islamabad Traders Association called on Islamic countries to boycott British goods and announced: "We will give 10m rupees to anyone who beheads Rushdie." Pakistan's parliament called on Britain for a second time to withdraw the honour. Some Pakistan analysts have suggested that President Pervez Musharraf was happy to encourage the crisis because it would distract his people from anti-government protests. Meanwhile, In London, many Muslims are divided over the issue. About 20 demonstrators protested outside the main mosque following afternoon prayers on Friday. Men covered their faces to avoid identification and waved banners, which read "God curse the Queen” and “Tony Blair is evil”.

WARM-UPS

1. HONOURS: Walk around the class and talk to other students about honours (knighthoods etc.) Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your original partner(s) and share what you found out.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

controversies / novelists / religious tensions / hate / fatwa / insults / revolution / boycotts / beheading / crises / anti-government protests / demonstrators / evil

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. INSULTS: In pairs / groups, discuss which of the items in the table you would hate to see insulted:

  • your looks
  • your ideas
  • your family
  • your religion
  • your country
  • your partner
  • your God
  • your parents

4. I’M A WRITER: Your partner will choose a writing genre for you. You are a famous novelist in that genre. Walk around the class and talk to the other “novelists” about your life and work.

5. RELIGIOUS HEADLINES: Talk with your partner(s) about these fictional headlines. Do you think they could come true? How would the world change if they came true?

  1. Religion banned around the world
  2. Christian leaders apologize to Muslims for all past injustices
  3. Fifty percent of world population now Buddhist
  4. One God, one religion – the world’s religions become one
  5. Hindus and Muslims agree to live in new state of Kashmir
  6. Jews and Muslims live peacefully in new Palestine state

6. ISLAM: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with Islam. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

7. QUICK DEBATE: Students A think Britain’s government was right to honour Salman Rushdie. Students B think the opposite. Change partners often. Share your findings.


 
 

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.

Tensions over Britain honouring Salman Rushdie are intensifying.

T / F

b.

Iran wants a new UN resolution to reverse Rushdie’s knighthood.

T / F

c.

Rushdie angered world Muslims with a book written last year.

T / F

d.

Iranian leaders said a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death will change.

T / F

e.

Pakistani politicians have offered a huge reward for Rushdie’s head.

T / F

f.

Pakistani businessmen want an Islamic boycott of British goods.

T / F

g.

Pakistan’s president is happy the new crisis has erupted.

T / F

h.

Most British Muslims see no problem with the knighthood.

T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.

controversy

damn

b.

escalating

evil

c.

inflame

divert

d.

satanic

enrage

e.

insulted

strains

f.

tensions

protestors

g.

boycott

war of words

h.

distract

slandered

i.

demonstrators

avoid

j.

curse

intensifying

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.

The controversy

of hate

b.

Iran’s parliament has said Britain

to boycott British goods

c.

Rushdie became a figure

the Prophet

d.

Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa

outside the main mosque

e.

he insulted

over the British knighthood

f.

Tensions and anger are

to avoid identification

g.

called on Islamic countries

to withdraw the honour

h.

called on Britain for a second time

defied a UN resolution

i.

demonstrators protested

calling for his death

j.

Men covered their faces

particularly high in Pakistan

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Anger over Rushdie knighthood continues
 

The controversy over the British knighthood of prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is ________. The leader of Iran’s parliament has said Britain ________ a UN resolution that says nations must not inflame religious tensions. Rushdie became a ________ of hate across much of the Islamic world after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ in 1989. Many Muslims felt the novel ________ their religion and Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death. An Iranian religious leader has ________ worshippers that Khomeini's fatwa was still in ________. He said: "In Islamic Iran, the revolutionary fatwa of [Khomeini] is still alive and cannot be changed. They [Britain] have honoured him only because he ________ the Prophet. In such a situation, honouring him means ________ 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

 

 

reminded
defied
insulted
insulted
confronting
escalating
place
figure

Tensions and anger are ________ high in Pakistan, where a group of businessmen have offered a $150,000 ________ for Rushdie’s head. The leader of the Islamabad Traders Association called on Islamic countries to boycott British goods and announced: "We will give 10m rupees to anyone who ________ Rushdie." Pakistan's parliament ________ on Britain for a second time to withdraw the honour. Some Pakistan analysts have suggested that President Pervez Musharraf was happy to ________ the crisis because it would distract his people from anti-government protests. Meanwhile, In London, many Muslims are ________ over the issue. About 20 demonstrators protested outside the main mosque following afternoon prayers on Friday. Men covered their faces to ________ identification and waved banners, which read "God ________ the Queen” and “Tony Blair is evil”.

 

 

divided
beheads
reward
curse
encourage
particularly
avoid
called

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Anger over Rushdie knighthood continues

The _______________________ British knighthood of prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is escalating. The leader of Iran’s parliament has said Britain defied a UN resolution that says nations _______________________ tensions. Rushdie became _______________________ much of the Islamic world after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ in 1989. Many Muslims _______________________ religion and Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death. An Iranian religious leader _______________________ Khomeini's fatwa was still in place. He said: "In Islamic Iran, the revolutionary fatwa of [Khomeini] is still alive and cannot be changed. They [Britain] _______________________ because he insulted the Prophet. In such a situation, honouring him means confronting 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

Tensions and _______________________ in Pakistan, where a group of businessmen have offered a $150,000 _______________________. The leader of the Islamabad Traders Association called on Islamic countries to boycott British goods and announced: "We will give 10m rupees to anyone who beheads Rushdie." Pakistan's parliament called on Britain for a second time _______________________. Some Pakistan analysts have suggested that President Pervez Musharraf was happy to encourage the crisis because it _______________________ from anti-government protests. Meanwhile, In London, many Muslims are divided over the issue. About 20 demonstrators protested _______________________ following afternoon prayers on Friday. Men covered their faces to avoid identification and waved banners, which read "_______________________” and “Tony Blair is evil”.


 
 

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘figure’ and ‘hate’.

figure

hate

 

 

 

 

  • Share your findings with your partners.
  • Make questions using the words you found.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

  • Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

  • controversy
  • defied
  • figure
  • issued
  • alive
  • confronting
  • particularly
  • head
  • boycott
  • withdraw
  • divided
  • banners

STUDENT SALMAN RUSHDIE SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about SALMAN RUSHDIE in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

  • Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
  • Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

  1. What did you think when you read the headline?
  2. What do you think about Salman Rushdie’s knighthood?
  3. Do you think Britain’s government should have been more sensitive to the feelings of Muslims around the world?
  4. Do you think Britain’s government should change its mind about the knighthood?
  5. Why do you think Britain knighted Rushdie knowing it would inflame religious tensions?
  6. What do you know about the novel ‘The Satanic verses’?
  7. What is your opinion on a religion calling on its followers to kill another person – a fatwa?
  8. How do you think the knighthood has changed relations between Britain and Muslim nations?
  9. Do you think Rushdie is happy with his knighthood, knowing the fatwa on him has been renewed?
  10. How do you think the Muslim world would react if Britain asked its people to kill a prominent Muslim novelist?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

  1. Did you like reading this article?
  2. Do you think Pakistan authorities should prosecute the businessmen offering a reward for Rushdie’s head?
  3. Do you think an Islamic boycott of British goods would be effective?
  4. Is it right for Pakistan’s government to try and change decisions in Britain’s parliament?
  5. Why do you think Britain’s Muslims are divided over this issue?
  6. Would you ever demonstrate in the streets?
  7. What kinds of things do you currently feel strongly about to make a protest / write a letter?
  8. Are people in your country free to march in the streets with banners that attack your national leaders?
  9. What question would you like to ask Salman Rushdie?
  10. Did you like this discussion?

SPEAKING

TENSIONS:

With your partner(s), write notes about relations between the countries in the table below. (1) What are the problems between these countries? (2) How could relations between them be made perfect? (3) Why might there be problems in arriving at the solutions?

Countries

(1) Problems

(2) Solutions for
     perfect relations

(3) Problems with
     solutions

Britain and Iran

 

 

 

USA and China

 

 

 

Other and

________

 

 

 

Change partner(s) and compare your notes.

LANGUAGE

CORRECT WORD: Put the correct words from a–d below in the article.

Anger over Rushdie knighthood continues

The controversy (1) ____ the British knighthood of prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is escalating. The leader of Iran’s parliament has said Britain (2) ____ a UN resolution that says nations must not (3) ____ religious tensions. Rushdie became a figure of hate across (4) ____ of the Islamic world after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ in 1989. Many Muslims felt the novel insulted their religion and Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death. An Iranian religious leader has reminded worshippers that Khomeini's fatwa was still in (5) ____. He said: "In Islamic Iran, the revolutionary fatwa of [Khomeini] is still alive and cannot be changed. They [Britain] have honoured him only because he insulted the Prophet. In (6) ____ a situation, honouring him means confronting 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

Tensions and anger are (7) ____ high in Pakistan, where a group of businessmen have offered a $150,000 reward for Rushdie’s head. The leader of the Islamabad Traders Association called (8) ____ Islamic countries to boycott British goods and announced: "We will give 10m rupees to anyone who (9) ____ Rushdie." Pakistan's parliament called on Britain for a second time to withdraw the honour. Some Pakistan analysts have suggested that President Pervez Musharraf was happy to encourage the crisis because it would distract his people (10) ____ anti-government protests. Meanwhile, In London, many Muslims are divided (11) ____ the issue. About 20 demonstrators protested outside the main mosque following afternoon prayers on Friday. Men covered their faces to avoid identification and waved banners, which (12) ____ "God curse the Queen” and “Tony Blair is evil”.

1.

(a)

from

(b)

for

(c)

over

(d)

by

2.

(a)

defied

(b)

defiled

(c)

filed

(d)

fried

3.

(a)

torch

(b)

inflame

(c)

explode

(d)

incinerate

4.

(a)

whole

(b)

majority

(c)

many

(d)

much

5.

(a)

peace

(b)

pace

(c)

places

(d)

place

6.

(a)

such

(b)

much

(c)

so

(d)

this

7.

(a)

partially

(b)

participating

(c)

particularly

(d)

peculiar

8.

(a)

out

(b)

in

(c)

over

(d)

on

9.

(a)

beheads

(b)

behaves

(c)

believes

(d)

becomes

10.

(a)

fear

(b)

far

(c)

from

(d)

for

11.

(a)

from

(b)

for

(c)

by

(d)

over

12.

(a)

saw

(b)

read

(c)

wrote

(d)

heard

WRITING: 

Write about fatwa for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about this issue from different sides. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. WORLD RELATIONS: Make a poster on relations between different countries around the world. Show your posters to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the effects of the knighthood and fatwa on Salman Rushdie. Describe how both might change his life.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Which article was best and why?

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the British government. Ask three questions about the knighthood. Give three suggestions about what they can do to improve relations with the Muslim world. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. F

c. F

d. F

e. F

f. T

g. T

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.

controversy

war of words

b.

escalating

intensifying

c.

inflame

enrage

d.

satanic

evil

e.

insulted

slandered

f.

tensions

strains

g.

boycott

avoid

h.

distract

divert

i.

demonstrators

protestors

j.

curse

damn

PHRASE MATCH:

a.

The controversy

over the British knighthood

b.

Iran’s parliament has said Britain

defied a UN resolution

c.

Rushdie became a figure

of hate

d.

Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa

calling for his death

e.

he insulted

the Prophet

f.

Tensions and anger are

particularly high in Pakistan

g.

called on Islamic countries

to boycott British goods

h.

called on Britain for a second time

to withdraw the honour

i.

demonstrators protested

outside the main mosque

j.

Men covered their faces

to avoid identification

GAP FILL:

Anger over Rushdie knighthood continues

The controversy over the British knighthood of prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is escalating. The leader of Iran’s parliament has said Britain defied a UN resolution that says nations must not inflame religious tensions. Rushdie became a figure of hate across much of the Islamic world after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ in 1989. Many Muslims felt the novel insulted their religion and Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death. An Iranian religious leader has reminded worshippers that Khomeini's fatwa was still in place. He said: "In Islamic Iran, the revolutionary fatwa of [Khomeini] is still alive and cannot be changed. They [Britain] have honoured him only because he insulted the Prophet. In such a situation, honouring him means confronting 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

Tensions and anger are particularly high in Pakistan, where a group of businessmen have offered a $150,000 reward for Rushdie’s head. The leader of the Islamabad Traders Association called on Islamic countries to boycott British goods and announced: "We will give 10m rupees to anyone who beheads Rushdie." Pakistan's parliament called on Britain for a second time to withdraw the honour. Some Pakistan analysts have suggested that President Pervez Musharraf was happy to encourage the crisis because it would distract his people from anti-government protests. Meanwhile, In London, many Muslims are divided over the issue. About 20 demonstrators protested outside the main mosque following afternoon prayers on Friday. Men covered their faces to avoid identification and waved banners, which read "God curse the Queen” and “Tony Blair is evil”.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - c

2 - a

3 - b

4 - d

5 - d

6 - a

7 - c

8 - d

9 - a

10 - c

11 - d

12 - b

 

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