273  英国允许法拉坎入境

Britain Allows Farrakhan To Enter

Tom Rivers

London

31 Jul 2001 15:56 UTC

A British judge has lifted a ban on black American 1)activist, Louis Farrakhan. The government ban has prevented Mr. Farrakhan from entering Britain for 15 years.

The British government placed the entry restriction on the controversial head of the Nation of Islam in 1986. There were fears that he might fuel 2)racial tension in the country. The ban has been reviewed and upheld since then by 3)successive Conservative and Labor governments.

Over the years, Louis Farrakhan has 4)stirred 5)controversy with anti-Semitic remarks 6)riling the Jewish community in the United States. "We considered them 7)bloodsuckers because they took from our community, built their community, but they did not offer anything back." Farrakhan said.

According to his lawyers in Britain, Mr. Farrakhan now regrets having made such remarks. However, Jewish community leaders in Britain remain 8)unconvinced.

Member of the House of Lords and head of the Anti-Semitic Council, Greville Janner, says Mr. Farrakhan's visit to Britain will cause more harm that good. "It is a great mistake to allow this man into Britain, especially at a difficult time like the present," Mr.Janner says. "There are so many of us who are working so hard to create good relations between Muslim communities, black communities, Jewish communities, other communities, that to have here a man who described Hitler as a genius and a great man is not clever."

But in throwing out the government-imposed ban, High Court Judge Michael Turner accepted Mr. Farrakhan lawyers' argument that the 67-year-old Chicago based activist had moved on and was now a 9)prominent spiritual, 10)religious and social leader.

The ban, however, will remain in force until October when Judge Turner will explain his judgment in full.

The extra time will also allow the British government time to consider whether to 11)appeal.

The decision comes at a time of some of the worst race 12)riots seen in Britain in two 13)decades. Tensions have 14)boiled over in recent months in repeated clashes between South Asian and white youth in towns across northern England.

Mr. Farrakhan's supporters in Britain welcomed the court ruling. Hilary Muhammad, the spokeswoman for the Nation of Islam in Britain says people should be able to choose who they listen to and make their own judgment.

(1)      activist[5AktIvIst]n.激进主义分子, 行动主义分子

(2)      racial[5reIF(E)l]adj.人种的, 种族的, 种族间的

(3)      successive[sEk5sesIv]adj.继承的, 连续的

(4)      stir[st:(r)]n.轰动, 搅动 vt.摇动, 激起, 搅和vi.走动, 传播, 流行

(5)      controversy[5kRntrEv:sI]n.论争, 辩论, 论战

(6)      rile[raIl]vt.激怒, 使恼怒

(7)      bloodsucker[blQdsQkE(r)]n.吸血生物, 水蛭, 剥削者

(8)      unconvinced adj.不信服的

(9)      prominent[5prRmInEnt]adj.卓越的, 显著的, 突出的

(10)      religious[rI5lIdVEs]adj.信奉宗教的, 虔诚的, 宗教上的

(11)      appeal[E5pi:l]n.请求, 呼吁, 上诉vi.求助, 诉请, 要求vt.控诉

(12)      riot[5raIEt]n.暴乱, 骚动, 暴动v.骚乱, 放纵, 挥霍, 参加骚动

(13)      decade[5dekeId]n.十年, 十

(14)      boil over v.因沸溢出, 发怒