Dutch Killing Prompts Soul Searching Among Europe's Muslim W

 

By Lisa Bryant

The November 2 killing¹ of Dutch film producer Theo van Gogh by an alleged² Islamic extremist has triggered fears in the Netherlands about religious extremism, along with a backlash against the country's Muslim population. It has also caused soul searching among Muslim artists in Europe about the boundary between free expression and what is considered religiously offensive.

The play "Une Viree," French for "an excursion," has recently opened at a theater in the Paris suburb of Nanterre to critical acclaim³. The play is about three musicians who drift through an Algeria racked by Islamic fundamentalism drinking wine and beer and smoking marijuana. It is written by Aziz Chouaki, a 53-year-old Algerian poet, playwright⁴ and part-time jazz musician who is considered one of France's most talented writers.

On a recent evening, Mr. Chouaki spoke⁵ with VOA about his latest play a few minutes before it opened at the Nanterre theater.

"This play deals with despair on every level," said Mr. Chouaki. "Social despair. Religious despair. Because one of them at a certain moment in the play says, 'Yes, we have practiced the religion. We all went to the mosque⁶ to see ... [if] God exists.'"

A Muslim by heritage, Mr. Chouaki describes himself as an atheist⁷ who fled Algeria in 1991, just before Islamist terrorists launched a bloody⁸ civil war in the North African country. But he has not escaped censure⁹ in France.

Mr. Chouaki's characters sometimes denounce Islam in offensive ways. One of the protagonists¹⁰ in "La Viree," for example, says that if he were president he would turn all the mosques¹¹ into bordellos. The line usually gets a laugh, but not from everybody.

In recent years, Mr. Chouaki has gotten harsh criticism, along with several death threats, from Muslim militants¹². He says he respects the Muslim religion, but that his characters must have the liberty to say what they think.

Mr. Chouaki is hardly the only artist in Europe under fire. Earlier this month, Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was assassinated¹³. The suspected assassin is believed to be a Muslim extremist who was presumably enraged¹⁴ about Mr. van Gogh's movie "Submission¹⁵." The controversial, 11 minute documentary is about violence against women in Muslim societies. One of its scenes featured images of battered¹⁶ women with passages of the Koran traced on their bodies.

The screenplay was written by another ex-Muslim, Somalian immigrant Ayaan Hirshi Ali. She, too, has received death threats. Today, she lives under 24-hour police protection in the Netherlands.

But Ms. Ali presents only one face of a new generation of Muslim screenwriters, poets, novelists and playwrights¹⁷ who are changing Europe's artistic¹⁸ landscape. They include devout¹⁹ Muslims and agnostics, exiled political dissidents and second-generation immigrants.

They write about sexual awakening²⁰, political oppression and racism²¹. Many, like 26-year-old French-Moroccan writer Loubna Meliane, generate applause rather than death threats.

Ms. Meliane is an anti-discrimination activist²² who published her first book, "Living Free," last year. The book is about breaking away from the strictures of the ethnic²³ North African community in France.

Ms. Meliane says she has gotten a lot of positive reviews of her book from other North African youths, particularly from frustrated²⁴ young men.

Ms. Meliane has not seen "Submission," but she has read about the movie and about Ms. Ali.

Ms. Meliane agrees that violence against women is intolerable. But she believes Ms. Ali may have made generalizations²⁵ and gone beyond the limits of what is appropriate, and offended many Muslims.

But other writers, like Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasrin, believe writers should generally be allowed to criticize Islam freely. Ms. Nasrin, another Muslim-turned-athiest, has received fat was to kill her in her native Bangladesh. She has lived in exile in Sweden for the past decade, and until recently had police protection. Even in Europe, Ms. Nasrin says, conservative Muslims criticize her writing, which deals with feminist²⁶ issues.

"The majority tell me, 'You are destroying Islam,'" she says. "A very common criticism is that the West uses me to speak out against Islam. I was speaking out against Islam when I was in Bangladesh. I didn't know anything about the West at the time. But it is a very common criticism."

But other Muslim writers point out that Islamic societies have fostered dazzling scholarship and creativity over the centuries. They have spawned²⁷ tales of sexuality and adventure such as the famous "Alf Layla Wa-Layla," or "A Thousand and One Nights." They have also produced ninth-century poets like Abu Nawas, who wrote about love and taverns²⁸.

Acclaimed²⁹ Egyptian novelist Adhaf Soueif, a practicing Muslim, says her religion has not inhibited³⁰ her from writing what she wants. Her novels explore issues like sexual awakening, and love between Muslims and non-Muslims. In a telephone interview from her home in London, Ms. Soueif says she gets praise from Muslim and Western readers alike.

Like Ms. Soueif, Muslim scholar and writer Malek Chebel also believes Islam poses few limits to creativity.

Mr. Chebel says he criticizes Islam from morning to night. But he believes that's OK within Islam. He says his religion is one of reasoning and debate. It doesn't condone³¹ killing people who criticize Islam or show, as Mr. van Gogh did, nude³² images in movies.

Lisa Bryant, for VOA news, Paris.
注释：
trigger 引起
boundary 边界
acclaim 喝彩，称赞
Islamic fundamentalism 伊斯兰原教旨主义
marijuana 大麻
despair 绝望
mosque 清真寺
atheist 无神论者
censure 责难
offensive 无礼的
protagonist 主角
bordello 妓院
liberty 自由
assassin 暗杀者
enrage 激怒
Koran （伊斯兰教）可兰经
screenwriter 编剧家
racism 种族歧视
stricture 责难
offend 冒犯，得罪
feminist 男女平等主义者
Bangladesh 孟加拉国（亚洲）
tavern 酒馆
inhibit 约束
condone 宽恕，赦免

1 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。

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 acclaim   

v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞

参考例句：

• He was welcomed with great acclaim.他受到十分热烈的欢迎。
• His achievements earned him the acclaim of the scientific community.他的成就赢得了科学界的赞誉。

4 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 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。

7 atheist   

n.无神论者

参考例句：

• She was an atheist but now she says she's seen the light.她本来是个无神论者，可是现在她说自己的信仰改变了。
• He is admittedly an atheist.他被公认是位无神论者。

8 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

9 censure   

v./n.责备；非难；责难

参考例句：

• You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。
• His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

10 protagonists   

n.（戏剧的）主角( protagonist的名词复数 )；（故事的）主人公；现实事件（尤指冲突和争端的）主要参与者；领导者

参考例句：

• Mrs Pankhurst was one of the chief protagonists of women's rights. 潘克赫斯特太太是女权的主要倡导者之一。 来自辞典例句
• This reflects that Feng Menglong heartily sympathized with these protagonists. 这反映出冯梦龙由衷地同情书中的这些主要人物。 来自互联网

11 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。

12 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

13 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

14 enraged   

使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤

参考例句：

• I was enraged to find they had disobeyed my orders. 发现他们违抗了我的命令，我极为恼火。
• The judge was enraged and stroke the table for several times. 大法官被气得连连拍案。

15 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

16 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

17 playwrights   

n.剧作家( playwright的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We're studying dramatic texts by sixteenth century playwrights. 我们正在研究16 世纪戏剧作家的戏剧文本。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hung-chien asked who the playwrights were. 鸿渐问谁写的剧本。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

18 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

19 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

20 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。

21 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

22 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。

23 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

24 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 generalizations   

一般化( generalization的名词复数 )； 普通化； 归纳； 概论

参考例句：

• But Pearlson cautions that the findings are simply generalizations. 但是波尔森提醒人们，这些发现是简单的综合资料。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 大脑与疾病
• They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalizations. 他们纠正了我不成熟的泛泛之论，帮了我大忙。

26 feminist   

adj.主张男女平等的，女权主义的

参考例句：

• She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
• From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起，男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。

27 spawned   

（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产

参考例句：

• The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
• The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。

28 taverns   

n.小旅馆，客栈，酒馆( tavern的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They ain't only two taverns. We can find out quick." 这儿只有两家客栈，会弄明白的。” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Maybe ALL the Temperance Taverns have got a ha'nted room, hey, Huck?" 也许所有的禁酒客栈都有个闹鬼的房间，喂，哈克，你说是不是？” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

29 acclaimed   

adj.受人欢迎的

参考例句：

• They acclaimed him as the best writer of the year. 他们称赞他为当年的最佳作者。
• Confuscius is acclaimed as a great thinker. 孔子被赞誉为伟大的思想家。

30 inhibited   

a.拘谨的，拘束的

参考例句：

• Boys are often more inhibited than girls about discussing their problems. 男孩子往往不如女孩子敢于谈论自己的问题。
• Having been laughed at for his lameness,the boy became shy and inhibited. 那男孩因跛脚被人讥笑，变得羞怯而压抑。

31 condone   

v.宽恕；原谅

参考例句：

• I cannot condone the use of violence.我不能宽恕使用暴力的行为。
• I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war.我绝不允许任何导致战争的行为。

32 nude   

adj.裸体的；n.裸体者，裸体艺术品

参考例句：

• It's a painting of the Duchess of Alba in the nude.这是一幅阿尔巴公爵夫人的裸体肖像画。
• She doesn't like nude swimming.她不喜欢裸泳。