VOA标准英语2008年-Radical Groups Gain Influence in Indonesia

A small Islamic sect¹ has been the target of violent attacks and is at the center of a national debate in Indonesia over religious freedom. As Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta, recent restrictions² on the Ahmadiyah sect could signal a shift in government policy toward radical³ Islamists in a country traditionally known for its tolerance⁴.
　
Muslim protesters shout 'God is great' during a demonstration⁵ against Ahmadiyah, a Muslim sect, in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 20 June 2008

Over the past few months violence against followers⁶ of Ahmadiyah has increased in Indonesia. In a bid to ease tensions, on June 9 the government imposed restrictions on the sect, effectively banning it.

That is raising questions about the direction of a country traditionally known for moderate Islam and a philosophy of inclusion for its diverse cultures.

A new report by the International Crisis Group says that hard-line Islamic groups have pushed their agenda into the government's decision making.

ICG Southeast Asia Project Director John Virgoe says though the groups represent a small minority of public opinion, their members are influential⁷.

"Some of these radical groups, who don't attract a lot of support, nonetheless seem to be having a disproportionate impact on government policy," he said. "And seem to be able to push these hard line and intolerant measures, and get the government to react in a way that is really unfortunate for Indonesia's reputation as a tolerant society."

Ahmadis follow most of the practices and beliefs as mainstream⁸ Islam, but consider their founder⁹, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a prophet.

The sect came to Indonesia around 80 years ago, and its members claim about 500,000 followers here.

Most Muslims consider Ahmadiyah to be heretical. And since its founding over 100 years ago, its members have been the target of violence in several Muslim-majority countries.

A fervent¹⁰ crowd in Jakarta last month shouted "outlaw¹¹ Ahmadiyah." The rally was held by the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) the country's top authority on Islam.

Violence against followers first erupted here in 2005 after the MUI declared the sect to be deviant. Extremists later torched hundreds of Ahmadi homes on Lombok Island.

Several Ahmadiyah mosques¹² in Indonesia have been attacked or burned over the past few months.

And last month, a crowd of moderate Muslims and interfaith leaders were attacked during a march for religious tolerance June first.

The restrictions imposed by the Indonesian government have angered moderate Islamic and human rights groups.

Amidhan, the deputy chairman of the MUI, says he is sorry to see violence erupt, but it is right to restrict the group.

He says the group should stop claiming it is part of Islam, and try to become recognized as a separate religion as its members did in Pakistan. Then they would be just like the Hindu or Christian¹³ minorities. But, he says, Ahmadis here do not want that.

He adds that what he calls liberal Muslims want to emulate¹⁴ America or Europe, where religions like Christianity have many sects¹⁵. He says that Christianity can have a lot of sects, but Islam cannot.

Ahmadiyah spokesman Shamsir Ali says the government's decision has driven the sect's members into hiding.

He says Ahmadis are terrified, because people have threatened to attack them and kill them. He says life has become very difficult since the decision, and the group had hoped to be protected by, instead of disbanded by, the government.

The International Crisis Group report draws ties between MUI and radical foreign Islamist groups. Among them is a secretive organization called Hizb ut-Tahrir, which uses political means to push for countries with large Muslim populations to unite under one leadership.

John Virgoe says the move to restrict Ahmadiyah came from groups working within MUI, which has gained political power under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who sought their support after winning election in 2004.

"He's ceded¹⁶ power and influence to this body called the MUI, the Indonesia Ulema Council, effectively giving them the ability to set government policy on religious matters," he noted¹⁷. "And this is an organization which is quite heavily influenced by the radical and hard-line groups."

Virgoe adds that the Ahmadiyah decision may backfire by mobilizing opposition¹⁸ groups in the run up to general elections in 2009.

He says recent events could serve as a wake-up call to supporters of human rights and religious tolerance, causing them to take the influence of radical groups in Indonesia more seriously.

 

1 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

2 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

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

5 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。

6 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

7 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

8 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

11 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

12 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

13 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。

14 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。

15 sects   

n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had subdued the religious sects, cleaned up Saigon. 他压服了宗教派别，刷新了西贡的面貌。 来自辞典例句

16 ceded   

v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Cuba was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898. 古巴在1898年被西班牙割让给美国。
• A third of the territory was ceded to France. 领土的三分之一割让给了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

18 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。