2006年VOA标准英语-Anger Growing in Europe Over Controversial

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
03 February 2006

Several more European newspapers have added to a growing controversy¹ over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed by reprinting the caricatures of the Muslim prophet Friday. Anger over the images is not only growing in the Muslim world, but in Europe as well.

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Muslim protesters chant slogans during a demonstration² outside  French embassy in London  
  

France's leftist Liberation newspaper joined others in Belgium and Italy Friday by reprinting the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that first surfaced in a Danish newspaper last September. Media around Europe this week have decided³ to republish the images in the name of free speech.

But their decision has sparked uproar⁴ in the Muslim world - which continued to grow on Friday.

In Iraq, thousands of demonstrators protested against the cartoons following Friday prayer services. Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric joined other Muslim leaders in denouncing the cartoons. Similar protests erupted in the Palestinian territories, where an angry mob burned Danish flags in Nablus. Palestinian militants⁵ also lobbed a home-made bomb at the French cultural center in Gaza. Nobody was injured. The violence has prompted some Europeans to leave Gaza and the West Bank.

 
Indonesian Muslim protester shouts 'God is great!' outside office building housing Embassy of Denmark in Jakarta
  
Demonstrations⁶ also took place in Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan Friday. Muslim politicians have also expressed their anger at the images, but in more diplomatic tones.

The United States has also denounced the cartoons as an unacceptable incitement⁷ to religious or ethnic⁸ hatred⁹. State Department spokesman Justin Higgins said the "cartoons are indeed offensive to the beliefs of Muslims."

The controversy has spread to Europe as well. In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack¹⁰ Straw criticized the decision of a number of European publications to reprint the cartoons.

"I believe the republication of these cartoons has been unnecessary, it has been insensitive, it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong," he said.

Mr. Straw praised the British media for showing what he called "considerable responsibility," and refraining from reprinting the cartoons. But BBC television briefly¹¹ broadcast them on Thursday.

In France, President Jaques Chirac balanced the right of free speech with the need to respect the values of others. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin offered a similar reaction in remarks, Friday.

Mr. de Villepin said his country was founded on democracy and liberty. But he said respect is also necessary - and a concern for not needlessly doing harm particularly, when it came to religious convictions.

Like their counterparts elsewhere, a number of religious leaders in Europe have also denounced the reprinting of the cartoons.

Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, condemned¹² acts and even words of violence from Muslims in reaction to the cartoons. But he also told British radio Friday that newspapers should have exercised better judgment¹³.

"This is a situation that extremists will be looking to exploit and it is important that this row is defused and the way forward is for these newspapers to recognize the hurt they have caused and say so plainly," he said.

And in France, the Union of Islamic Organizations said it would press charges against the French newspapers that have published the images. French Catholic as well as Jewish leaders joined Muslims in criticizing the reprinting of the cartoons.

France's Chief Rabbi Joseph Sitruk told France Info radio that while he did not believe in either Christian¹⁴ or Muslim prophets, it would never occur to him to make fun of them. "Our societies need to learn respect," he said. But Rabbi Sitruk also said violence and threats in reaction to the cartoons cannot be justified¹⁵ either.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

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 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 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。

7 incitement   

激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物

参考例句：

• incitement to racial hatred 种族仇恨的挑起
• Interest is an incitement to study. 兴趣刺激学习。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

10 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

11 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

12 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。

13 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。