VOA慢速英语20060211a

IN THE NEWS - Exercise in Free Expression: How It Led to Deadly CostsBy Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Saturday, February 11, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.


Protesters in Kuala Lumpur

The drawings that have led to increasing protests by Muslims in recent days first appeared in a Danish newspaper last September.

The Jyllands-Posten published twelve images of the Prophet Mohammad. Many Muslims say Islam bars showing any images of the prophet. Yet one cartoon, for example, showed Mohammed as a terrorist with a bomb on his head.

The newspaper says it published the cartoons as a form of political protest. Another newspaper had reported that a writer could not find anyone to draw pictures for a book about the prophet. Artists reportedly were afraid to draw them.

In October, ambassadors from ten Muslim nations and the Palestinian representative in Denmark wrote to the Danish prime minister. They urged him to take action against those responsible for the drawings.

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said he is sorry the cartoons offended Muslims. But he has refused to apologize for their being published.

Danish Muslim groups began legal action against the newspaper that published them.

In December, leaders from the Organization of the Islamic Conference condemned¹ the cartoons. They discussed them during their meeting in Saudi Arabia in Islam's holiest city, Mecca.

Delegates from a Danish coalition² of twenty-seven Muslim groups had brought the cartoons to the Middle East in December to seek support. The delegates also included some images that had not been published. A spokesman has said they were not an attempt to mislead. He says they were mailed to Danish Muslims who had criticized the published cartoons.

In January, Danish government lawyers decided³ not to bring charges against the newspaper. A few days later, a publication in Norway printed the cartoons to show support for the Danish paper and for freedom of the press. Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador from Denmark and began a boycott⁴ of Danish goods.

A statement from the Jyllands-Posten apologized for offending Muslims, but supported the decision to print the drawings. Since then, news media in other countries have also printed them.

As protests spread to different countries, they turned violent and deadly. Danish and Norwegian embassies have been attacked.

There has been much debate about the reasons behind the protests.

Many people say the protests show the anger of Muslims at treatment by Westerners. They say the demonstrations⁵ also show anger at the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. But even some Muslims say the protests are being used in some cases to push for goals unrelated to defending Islam.

Denmark's prime minister says religious extremists have fueled the flames. In published comments this week Mister Rasmussen also criticized Syria and Iran. He says they have used the situation to gain support because they are both under international pressure.

He says Denmark is a liberal country, but its values must be honored. These include freedom of expression, equality for men and women and a separation of politics and religion.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。