Denmark’s government has recalled its ambassador and aides from its embassy in Jakarta. Even though Indonesia guaranteed the safety of the Danes, all diplomatic staff headed out of the country at the weekend for security reasons. Sources say there are “credible and concrete threats” against Danish nationals. These come after the protests against the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish newspapers. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said he did not understand the “hasty” exit. He had promised Denmark’s diplomatic staff would have full protection.

The cartoons were first published in September. They caused angry protests against Denmark in cities around the world. The pictures have angered a majority of the world’s Muslims. This issue has also created further divisions between the Muslim and Christian worlds. On one hand, the Danish cartoonists say free speech allows them to make fun of anything; on the other hand, Muslims see drawings of their Prophet with a time bomb above his head as insulting. Tony Blair and George W. Bush called the publications unfortunate. However, they have done little to show they understand how serious the matter is for Muslims.

WARM-UPS

1. ANGRY: Talk about the times in the past week or two where you have become angry. What happened? How angry did you get? What were the reasons? What was your reaction? Did anything happen to make your anger disappear?

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

Jakarta / Denmark / ambassadors / protests / cartoons / hastiness / apologies / creating divisions / Muslims / Christians / poking fun / time bombs / free speech

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

3. FREE SPEECH: For which of these subjects do you think there should be rules to limit free speech? Is it OK for anyone to say anything about these subjects??

God Religion Kings and queens National secrets

Ruling and opposition leaders Racism War Other

4. OPINIONS: Do you agree with these opinions on the Danish cartoons?

1. They are a storm in a teacup.
2. Yet another example of Christians not respecting other religions.
3. The Danish government should apologize to the world’s Muslims.
4. A UN rule should be made to provide international rules on free speech.
5. Free speech is too valuable to give up, even if it offends religions.
6. The whole world should boycott Danish goods.
7. Muslims and Christians will never see eye to eye.

5. EXIT: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “exit”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

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

a.	Denmark has asked its diplomats to come home from Copenhagen.	T / F
b.	There are real, concrete threats against Danish people.	T / F
c.	Indonesia’s foreign minister said the Danes left very slowly.	T / F
d.	The Danish government said it will soon apologize to Muslims.	T / F
e.	The cartoons were initially published back in September.	T / F
f.	The cartoons have made divisions between Muslims and Christians.	T / F
g.	The cartoonists see nothing wrong with the cartoons.	T / F
h.	George Bush and Tony Blair totally understand Muslims.	T / F

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

a.	recalled	rash
b.	guaranteed	mock
c.	credible	promised
d.	nationals	real
e.	hasty	issue
f.	first	injuring
g.	angered	citizens
h.	make fun of	initially
i.	insulting	ordered back
j.	matter	infuriated

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

a.	Denmark’s government has	threats against Danish nationals
b.	Indonesia guaranteed	exit
c.	headed	fun of anything
d.	credible and concrete	majority of the world’s Muslims
e.	hasty	recalled its ambassador
f.	The pictures have angered a	how serious the matter is
g.	created	out of the country
h.	free speech allows them to make	publications unfortunate
i.	George W. Bush called the	the safety of the Danes
j.	little to show they understand	further divisions

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text.

Denmark recalls diplomats over cartoons

Denmark’s government has _________ its ambassador and aides from its embassy in Jakarta. Even _________ Indonesia guaranteed the safety of the Danes, all diplomatic staff _________ out of the country at the weekend for security _________. Sources say there are “credible and _________ threats” against Danish nationals. These come after the _________ against the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish newspapers. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said he did not understand the “_________” exit. He had promised Denmark’s diplomatic staff would have _________ protection.		headed concrete recalled full protests though reasons hasty
The cartoons were _________ published in September. They caused angry protests against Denmark in cities around the world. The pictures have _________ a majority of the world’s Muslims. This _________ has also created further divisions between the Muslim and Christian worlds. On one _________, the Danish cartoonists say free speech allows them to make _________ of anything; on the other hand, Muslims see drawings of their Prophet with a _________ bomb above his head as insulting. Tony Blair and George W. Bush called the publications _________. However, they have done _________ to show they understand how serious the matter is for Muslims.		unfortunate hand angered little fun first time issue

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Denmark recalls diplomats over cartoons

Denmark’s government has _________ its ambassador and aides from its embassy in Jakarta. Even though Indonesia guaranteed the safety of the Danes, all diplomatic staff _________ out of the country at the weekend for security reasons. Sources say there are “credible and _________ threats” against Danish nationals. These come after the _________ against the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish newspapers. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said he did not understand the “_________” exit. He had promised Denmark’s diplomatic staff would have full _________.

The cartoons were first _________ in September. They caused angry protests against Denmark in cities around the world. The pictures have _________ a majority of the world’s Muslims. This issue has also created further _________ between the Muslim and Christian worlds. On one hand, the Danish cartoonists say free speech _________ them to make fun of anything; on the other hand, Muslims see drawings of their Prophet with a time bomb above his head as _________. Tony Blair and George W. Bush called the publications unfortunate. However, they have done little to show they understand how serious the _________ is for Muslims.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

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

• 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. STUDENT “CARTOONS” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about the cartoons.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

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

aides safety security cartoon hasty full

first protests divisions fun bomb matter

DISCUSSION

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

1. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
2. Do you think the boycott of Danish produce is understandable?
3. Do you think the withdrawal of Danish ambassadors from embassies is too “hasty”?
4. Do you understand the anger of Muslims over this issue?
5. Do you think the Danish government should apologize to Muslims?
6. Are there things that need to be excluded from free speech?
7. Would you like to be a diplomat?
8. Should governments do more to protect the foreign diplomats on their soil?
9. Do you think it’s OK to make fun of other people’s religion and religious symbols?
10. Do you think there needs to be a UN resolution on free speech?

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

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Do you think the cartoonists knew they would be creating so much tension in the world?
4. How angry would you feel if others made fun of your religion, people or culture?
5. Do you think the cartoon issue is little more than a storm in a teacup?
6. Do you think Western leaders really understand Islam and Muslim people?
7. Why do you think Americans and Europeans believe know what is right and wrong in this world?
8. Do you think people are responsible enough to have free speech?
9. How do you think the cartoon issue will develop?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
2. Was there a question you didn’t like?
3. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
4. What did you like talking about?
5. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

INSULTS: In pairs / groups, talk about how you would react if someone insulted the things in the table. Is this different from how you think you should react?

	REACT	SHOULD REACT
Your God / Religion
Your parents
Your country
Your nose
Your nations monarch or leaders
Your favorite sports team
Other _________________

Change partners / groups. Tell each other what your previous partner(s) said.

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 information about this story. Look at views from both the Muslim press and non-Muslim press. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

3. FREE SPEECH: Write the new United Nations Rule on Free Speech. Include in it what can be the subject of humor, criticism, etc. and what cannot. Show your Rule to your partner(s) in your next class. Did you all write about similar things?

4. LETTER: Write a letter from the Danish government to all Muslims. Explain in it why your government can or cannot issue an apology over the publication of the cartoons. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Did everyone write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. F

d. F

e. T

f. T

g. T

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	recalled	ordered back
b.	guaranteed	promised
c.	credible	real
d.	nationals	citizens
e.	hasty	rash
f.	first	initially
g.	angered	infuriated
h.	make fun of	mock
i.	insulting	injuring
j.	matter	issue

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	Denmark’s government has	recalled its ambassador
b.	Indonesia guaranteed	the safety of the Danes
c.	headed	out of the country
d.	credible and concrete	threats against Danish nationals
e.	hasty	exit
f.	The pictures have angered a	majority of the world’s Muslims
g.	created	further divisions
h.	free speech allows them to make	fun of anything
i.	George W. Bush called the	publications unfortunate
j.	little to show they understand	how serious the matter is

GAP FILL:

Denmark recalls diplomats over cartoons

Denmark’s government has recalled its ambassador and aides from its embassy in Jakarta. Even though Indonesia guaranteed the safety of the Danes, all diplomatic staff headed out of the country at the weekend for security reasons. Sources say there are “credible and concrete threats” against Danish nationals. These come after the protests against the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish newspapers. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said he did not understand the “hasty” exit. He had promised Denmark’s diplomatic staff would have full protection.

The cartoons were first published in September. They caused angry protests against Denmark in cities around the world. The pictures have angered a majority of the world’s Muslims. This issue has also created further divisions between the Muslim and Christian worlds. On one hand, the Danish cartoonists say free speech allows them to make fun of anything; on the other hand, Muslims see drawings of their Prophet with a time bomb above his head as insulting. Tony Blair and George W. Bush called the publications unfortunate. However, they have done little to show they understand how serious the matter is for Muslims.

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