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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Michael Drudge1
London
07 February 2006
Supporters clear a path for Abu Hamza al-Masri, center, following Friday prayers in the street outside the Finsbury Park Mosque2, in London, Feb. 7, 2003
A British jury has convicted a radical3 Muslim cleric of soliciting4 the murder of non-Muslims and a judge has sentenced him to seven years in prison. The man, Abu Hamza al-Masri, is also wanted by the United States on terrorism-related charges.
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The conviction of al-Masri culminates5 years of investigation6 into the activities of Britain's most prominent Muslim preacher.
A London jury has found him guilty of 11 counts ranging from solicitation7 of murder of non-Muslims to stirring up racial hatred8 against Jews and possessing what prosecutors9 described as a "terrorist manual."
Until 2003, the Egyptian-born al-Masri was based at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, a place where suspected al-Qaida-linked terrorists had prayed.
Finsbury Park mosque in London (file photo)
Among those who attended the mosque are convicted "shoe bomber10" Richard Reid and Zacarias Moussaoui, who is awaiting sentencing as the so-called "20th hijacker11" in the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
One London-based expert on terrorism, M.J. Gohel of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, says al-Masri has led followers12 into what he calls "a world of extremism and terrorism."
"He provides the doorway13 to the jihadi groups around the world because a number of those al-Qaida-linked terrorists did pass through the Finsbury Park mosque when he used to preach there," he said.
Al-Masri also is wanted in the United States on a number of charges, including the attempted establishment of a terrorist training camp in the northwestern state of Oregon.
His possible extradition14 to face trial on those charges is now expected to remain suspended while he considers an appeal and serves his sentence in Britain.
The 47-year-old al-Masri is handicapped, having lost his hands and one eye to what he says was a mine-clearing operation when he was supporting anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Other sources say he was injured while building a bomb.
During his trial, al-Masri said the charges against him were politically motivated. His lawyer had argued that al-Masri never intended to incite15 people to commit specific crimes.
1 drudge | |
n.劳碌的人;v.做苦工,操劳 | |
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2 mosque | |
n.清真寺 | |
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3 radical | |
n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的 | |
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4 soliciting | |
v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 );(指娼妇)拉客;索求;征求 | |
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5 culminates | |
v.达到极点( culminate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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6 investigation | |
n.调查,调查研究 | |
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7 solicitation | |
n.诱惑;揽货;恳切地要求;游说 | |
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8 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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9 prosecutors | |
检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 ); 告发人; 起诉人; 公诉人 | |
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10 bomber | |
n.轰炸机,投弹手,投掷炸弹者 | |
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11 hijacker | |
n.拦路抢劫者 | |
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12 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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13 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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14 extradition | |
n.引渡(逃犯) | |
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15 incite | |
v.引起,激动,煽动 | |
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