VOA标准英语2010年-Is Russia Radicalizing its Muslims?

The Russian Supreme¹ Court on Tuesday hears an appeal of 12 Muslims from the republic of Tatarstan imprisoned² on charges of attempting to overthrow³ the local government.  Russian human rights activists⁵ say the case represents an assault on freedom of religion that has the unintended effect of radicalizing Muslims in the Russian Federation⁷. 

Farkhat Faizulin is one of 12 Muslims in Tatarstan imprisoned for attempting a violent overthrow of the republic's government.  He was also accused of membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization that seeks to unite all Muslim countries. 

Prosecutors⁸ presented no evidence of guns or explosives at the defendants⁹' 2007 trial.  Instead, they pointed¹⁰ to confiscated¹¹ Islamic literature, including that of Hizb ut-Tahrir.  Human-rights activists say prosecutors extrapolated violent intent from possession of that organization's literature.  The defendants deny all charges. 

Faizulin's wife, Gulnara Faizulina, told VOA the Supreme Court appeal revolves¹² around procedural matters.

Faizulina says defendants were denied a jury trial and defense¹³ motions, witnesses were kept secret and defendants could not properly cross-examine them.

Speaking at a Moscow news conference, the director of Russia's Human Rights Institute, Valentin Gefter, said the issue at stake in the appeal is not the state's war against terrorism, but rather against independent ideas.

Gefter says the struggle in Russia in this specific instance and in the Caucasus is not against ideas or people who may even have radical⁶ ideas - certainly not violent ones, but rather it is a struggle against all those who may presumably think differently from local and federal authorities.

Alexei Malashenko, Islamic expert at the Carnegie Moscow Center, says there is no understanding or consistency¹⁴ in Russia as to what constitutes radical Islam.  He notes that theological disputes that are common to all religions.  He also cites cases when Russian civil authorities get involved in matters of faith.

Malashenko says one needs to think for a second that a judge - a civil authority - can provide instruction about proper or improper¹⁵ religious ritual.  Malashenko calls that nonsense, adding that a small-town mayor on the eve of some tragic¹⁶ events in [the Caucasus republic of] Kabardino-Balkaria posted a schedule when people may or may not attend services in a mosque¹⁷.

Elena Ryabinina of the Human Rights Institute says the state's anti-terrorism operations are creating a large number of innocent victims who are convinced they cannot defend themselves through legal means.

Ryabinina says the more groups fall under the steamroller of repression¹⁸, the greater the critical mass that emerges.  She says although the groups are completely different, they are united by two very powerful factors - a common faith and common trouble stemming from the repressive campaign.

Valentin Gefter says civil interference in matters of religion is turning Islam into a hero among ordinary people.  He notes a ruthless campaign against Islamic extremism in Chechnya has been accompanied by orders of what female college students should wear in class.  Gefter says that encourages resentment¹⁹.

Gefter adds that Russian security agencies last year pressured the Russian parliament and President Dmitri Medvedev into eliminating the country's budding jury system in terrorism cases.

The human-rights activist⁴ says this has offered the possibility of not only manipulating, pressuring and perpetrating all kinds of outrages²⁰ during an investigation²¹, but also to get courts to deliver verdicts desired [by authorities].

Alexei Malashenko says there are no exact numbers on how many people are being radicalized by state's war on terror.  As he puts it, there are as many Islamic extremists as the authorities need to have at any given time - sometimes they need a lot, sometimes only a few.  He notes that Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has said there are no more than 500 rebels remaining in his republic.  He later told his security forces virtually every Chechen family has a rebel, which would put the number in the many thousands. 

Gulnara Faizulina says she does not expect the Russian Supreme Court to rule favorably in her husband's case.  A decision should take about three weeks.  He has already served three-and-one-half years of a four-and-one-half year term.  He could have served a maximum of 20.  She notes all of the defendants got less than the minimum 10-year sentence, which she sees as indirect acknowledgment by authorities that they could not prove their case.

If necessary, the defendants plan a further appeal at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
 

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

3 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

4 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。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

9 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

12 revolves   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想

参考例句：

• The earth revolves both round the sun and on its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是，轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

15 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

16 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

17 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

18 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

19 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

20 outrages   

引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• People are seeking retribution for the latest terrorist outrages. 人们在设法对恐怖分子最近的暴行进行严惩。
• He [She] is not allowed to commit any outrages. 不能任其胡作非为。

21 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。