2006年VOA标准英语-Kurdish Refugees Gain Support in Virginia Town

By June Soh
Washington, DC
20 July 2006
 
watch Kurdish report
 
  
  
The U.S. government has taken many steps to prevent terrorism since the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks.  Federal authorities have strengthened anti-terrorism laws.  This has led to the arrest, conviction and deportation¹ of many people. But residents of one town in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia have come together in support of their Muslim neighbors who are in trouble.  The report is narrated² by Amy Katz.

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Friends and neighbors gather on the Court Square of Harrisonburg, Virginia, a small town about 210 kilometers from Washington, D.C.

One supporter, Earl Martin, explains why he is participating. "I am here to stand with our Kurdish friends who are facing what I consider to be very unjust charges against them." 

 
Supporter Jim Wingert 
  
Another supporter, Jim Wingert, adds "These men were trying to provide for their families and they have gotten in trouble for it.  It just seems ironic³ to me. So I think we need to be here to support them."

The Kurdish defendants⁴ are Rasheed Quambari, Amir Rashid, Fadhil Noroly, and Ahmed Abdullah.    The four were granted asylum⁵ in the U.S. in the late 90s.     After the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the Kurds were swept up in a federal government anti-terrorism net. They were prosecuted⁶ for illegal money transferring to northern Iraq without business licenses⁷.

 
Rasheed Quambari
  
Rasheed Quambari, who was one of the first Kurdish refugees to settle in Harrisonburg, was convicted in January. "There are people back there, my parents.  I have to support them.  This kind of obligation for me and for all these people from there to help people back home whether for food or medicine, during the war their house being destroyed."  

Residents banded together in their defense⁸, saying that well-meaning immigrants were being made scapegoats⁹.  

"It is wonderful that you are all here.  It wouldn't be if you weren’t.  So thank you."

Christi Kramer, with her husband who is an imam at the Islamic Center in Harrisonburg, helped drum up the support and form a committee called Standing¹⁰ With Our Neighbors.

"The job wasn't convincing people.  It was simply telling the story and people's response has consistently been response of outrage¹¹, of disbelief, of how could this happen.  And then support naturally (was) following." 

Supporters, many of them strangers to the Kurds, have collected donations to pay for legal fees and a full-page newspaper ad signed by 700 residents. Some wrote op-eds in the town newspaper. 

Students at a local university made a documentary about the Kurdish residents, which played at a downtown theater.

Ahmed Abdullah  
  
Ahmed Abdullah, who pleaded guilty in a hope for leniency¹², says it feels like a big family. "We are not alone in this city.  We are not alone in the United States.  Actually we came here for freedom. They try to get me free in the trial. I am going to say I am a member of this family in the city."

While the sentencing trial is underway, residents gather outside the courthouse and wait hours for the rulings.

Quambari's worst fears -- deportation to Iraq or a prison term -- disappear. He and the fellow defendants receive probation¹³ sentences of one to three years and some fines.

It is a victorious¹⁴ moment for the supporters.

Eileen McGruder, a Japanese-American physician, has been actively¹⁵ involved in the defense. "(I am) really proud to be an American because the Kurdish people told me that if they were in Iraq and this happened, nobody would be able to stand up for them. It is only because we live in a country that truly is a wonderful country, that something like this is possible, that we could speak out."    

Yet an important issue still remains¹⁶.

John Brownlee is the U.S. attorney of the Western District of Virginia.  He notes that the defendants have sent overseas up to $2.5 million on behalf of many Kurdish families, including their own.  "We are still not sure where all this money goes to. And so when it goes outside the banking¹⁷ system the way it was, that's what creates the danger.  So again we are going to continue to try to shut this down."

"Right now what are the families to do, the families who are in good faith providing a service to help people.  Now they are unable to do that. And their own families remain in need." said Kramer.

The supporters say they will continue to work together to urge the U.S. government to help establish working banking systems in Iraq so the Kurds can send money to their loved ones -- as many other immigrant communities do.

1 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

2 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

4 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

5 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

6 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

7 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 scapegoats   

n.代人受过的人，替罪羊( scapegoat的名词复数 )v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They were made the scapegoats for the misfire of the program. 他们成了那个计划失败的替罪羊。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Only some of the guards and a minor hotel employee, chosen as scapegoats, were imprisoned. 只有一些保镖和那个旅馆的小职员当了替罪羊，被关进了监狱。 来自辞典例句

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

12 leniency   

n.宽大（不严厉）

参考例句：

• udges are advised to show greater leniency towards first-time offenders.建议法官对初犯者宽大处理。
• Police offer leniency to criminals in return for information.警方给罪犯宽大处理以换取情报。

13 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

14 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

15 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。