VOA标准英语2009年-Troops Patrol Nigerian City after Clas

For the past 30 years, there have been over 85 cases of religious violence in the northern part of Nigeria. And there is [clearly] a failure of leadership...which has created a vacuum for people to find answers to their problems within the realm of Islamic fundamentalism."

Calm is returning to the northern Nigerian city of Bauchi, a day after members of an Islamic sect¹ clashed with security forces. Police said 38 people were killed, including the leader of the sect.

Residents of Bauchi say security forces were deployed² in full around the city Tuesday to forestall³ a repeat of the violence. Police have arrested 20 suspected sect members and recovered what has been referred to as 'sophisticated' weapons from the group.

The clashes erupted on Monday when the religious sect, which is known as Yan Kala Kato, began attacking security forces over the arrest of its leader, Malam Badamasi.

Yan Kala Kato, also known as Maitatsine, is a radical⁴ Islamic sect which exists in several parts of northern Nigeria. Thousands of people were killed in religious uprisings instigated⁵ by the group in 1980 in the northern city of Kano and in Yola in 1992.

A human rights activist⁶ in the northern city of Kaduna, Shehu Sani, says the latest violence resulted from a battle for leadership within the Islamic sect.

"The recent violence is a continuation of violent activities of sect leaders in the north. This violence was religiously motivated, and it is about the quest for supremacy⁷ between factional leaders of the remnants of the religious sect that are in Bauchi," Sani said.

Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north has seen bouts⁸ of religious unrest. This was the third time religious violence had occurred in Bauchi this year. In July, the area witnessed sectarian unrest, which later spread to neighboring states, killing⁹ 800 people.

Sani blames the "failure of leadership" for the religious violence in northern Nigeria.

"For the past 30 years, there have been over 85 cases of religious violence in the northern part of Nigeria. And it is clearly that there is a failure of leadership in the past three decades, which has created a vacuum for people to find answers to their problems within the realm of Islamic fundamentalism. And poverty, illiteracy¹⁰ and ignorance in the region have given fundamentalists a favorable atmosphere for them to get their converts and adherents," Sani said.

Nigeria's 150 million people are split almost equally between Christians¹¹ in the south and Muslims in the north.
 

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 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 forestall   

vt.抢在…之前采取行动；预先阻止

参考例句：

• I left the room to forestall involvements.我抢先离开了这房间以免受牵累。
• He followed this rule in order to forestall rumors.他遵守这条规矩是为了杜绝流言蜚语。

4 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。

5 instigated   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
• He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

8 bouts   

n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作

参考例句：

• For much of his life he suffered from recurrent bouts of depression. 他的大半辈子反复发作抑郁症。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was one of fistiana's most famous championship bouts. 这是拳击界最有名的冠军赛之一。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

11 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。