塔吉克领导人:推行传统简单的墓葬标记

Tajik Leader: No More Big Burial Markers

Over the years, Tajikistan has taken numerous steps to control the lives of its citizens.

The government has rules restricting how long men can grow their beards and the length of women’s clothing. It also limits how much food Tajiks are legally permitted to prepare.

Now, the government is trying to control how its citizens are memorialized after they die.

Tajikistan is restricting the size of markers in the country’s burial grounds. News of these restrictions¹ come from an official with the government’s Committee on Religious Affairs and Regulation of National Traditions. He spoke² with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

The official said that the rule is meant to limit public signs of the wealth of the dead person and his or her family members.

The state-controlled Jumhuriyat newspaper first reported on the memorial stone rules in February of 2017. But few people paid attention at that time. But in late August 2018, RFE/RL published a story about the rules. Now they appear to be the talk of the mostly Muslim country.

The Jumhuriyat report said that cemetery³ stones could be no more than 1.5 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 50 centimeters tall. Abdukarim Mustafozoda, an official with the government’s religious affairs committee, made the announcement.

The official who spoke with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said the measurements were established by a government declaration⁴. He added that local officials had been told to explain the rule to the public.

There is "no penalty⁵…yet for violating⁶ the policy," the official added.

Last year, the government announced measures barring people from crying loudly at funerals, a traditional way of mourning in Tajikistan.

Officials have also set restrictions on the amount of money families can spend on funerals and other family events. One family in southern Tajikistan last year had food for a wedding party seized by officials who said a "wasteful⁷" amount had been prepared.

Concerned about what they consider religious extremism, officials have tightened⁸ rules over Islamic organizations and the open expression of religious beliefs. The government already has rules for the length of men’s facial hair, baby names and how women tie their head coverings.

The cemetery stone rule, however, is more in agreement with the traditional simple markers found in many Islamic cemeteries⁹.

In announcing the rule last year, Mustafozoda wrote that Tajik cemeteries have become a place for people to show that they are rich.

"(It) is not only wrong, it's also against Islam,” he wrote, adding that it was “wasteful and unnecessary.” He said families sometimes compete to put up the biggest possible stone.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

beard – n. the hair that grows from man’s chin

cemetery – n. the place where the dead are buried

penalty – n. the result of breaking the rules

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

4 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

5 penalty   

n.处罚，刑罚，罚款

参考例句：

• If you knock the ball with your hand in football,you will suffer a penalty.如果在踢足球时你用手碰到球，你将受到处罚。
• One of those arrested could face the death penalty.被捕的那些人中有一人可能被判死刑。

6 violating   

亵渎( violate的现在分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Ignorance of a law does not excuse a man for violating it. 一个人不懂法律不构成犯法的理由。
• It was sued by the U.S. federal government for violating antitrust law. 它被美国联邦政府指控违反了反托拉斯法。

7 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

8 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

9 cemeteries   

n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like. 不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In other districts the proximity of cemeteries seemed to aggravate the disease. 在其它地区里，邻近墓地的地方，时疫大概都要严重些。 来自辞典例句