VOA新闻杂志--穆斯林国家抗议印度政党领导人的“侮辱性”言论

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Muslim Nations Protest 'Insulting' Comments from Indian Party Leaders

Several Muslim-majority countries have protested comments made by top officials of India's governing party. They accused the party officials of making insulting statements about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

At least five Arab nations have entered official protests to Indian diplomats¹. Neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly to the comments made by two officials from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On social media, some Muslims have called for a boycott² of Indian goods. And in parts of India, it has also led to protests against Modi's ruling party.

Increasing violence against Muslims

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for things such as their food, clothing and inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks against Indian Muslims could increase.

Rights groups have also accused Modi's governing party of ignoring and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims.

Modi's party denies the accusations³, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their religion have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week, after the two BJP officials made comments that were seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modi's party took no action against the officials until Sunday. That is when several Arab nations, starting with Qatar and Kuwait, called their Indian ambassadors to protest. Saudi Arabia and Iran also added their voices to the protest.

The BJP suspended the officials and said it "strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities⁴." India's embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by "fringe elements."

Qatar's Foreign Ministry⁵, however, said it expected a public apology from the Indian government. And Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see "an increase of extremism and hatred⁶."

The Grand Mufti of Oman called the action of Modi's party toward Islam a form of "war." And Egypt's Al-Azhar Mosque⁷, the Sunni world's top center of religious learning, described the remarks as "real terrorism (that) can plunge⁸ the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars."

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists wrote on social media that the government was giving in to international pressure.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a statement: "These insults come in the context of the increasing intensity⁹ in hatred and insults to Islam in India and the systematic¹⁰ harassment¹¹ of Muslims."

The 57-member organization noted¹² bans on head coverings in classrooms in some Indian states and the destruction of Muslim property as examples of the Indian government's unfair treatment of Muslims.

More recently, religious tensions increased after Hindus went to court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th-century Muslim religious center. They argued that the mosque was built on the ruins of an old Hindu temple.

Words in This Story

prophet - n. a member of some religions who delivers messages that are believed to have come from God.

view - n. an opinion or way of thinking about something

fringe - n. a group with extreme views

plunge - v. drop suddenly

context - n. the situation in which something happens

harassment - n. act of repeatedly attack or bother (someone)

mosque - n. a building used for Muslim religious services

temple - n. a Buddhist/Hindu/Jewish/Mormon building for worship

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

3 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

4 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 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。

7 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。

8 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

9 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

10 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

11 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

12 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。