2006年VOA标准英语-Hezbollah - Serving Muslims with God and Guns

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
21 July 2006
 
watch Hezbollah report

The kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah in Lebanon provoked a military response that has devastated¹ the Lebanese civilian² population and infrastructure³.  VOA's Peter Fedynsky looks at Hezbollah -- an organization that claims to serve Muslims in Lebanon and neighboring countries with a combination of God and guns.

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Hezbollah, the Party of God  
  
Hezbollah, or the Party of God, emerged in 1982 to fight Israel's invasion and occupation of Lebanon.  The organization's military arm, known as the Islamic Resistance, helped drive Israeli forces out of the country in 2000. Its 1983 suicide attack on U.S. Marines in Beirut prompted the withdrawal⁴ of American forces.  Hezbollah  also has served the Shia Muslim community in southern Lebanon that was displaced during the 1982 invasion.

Judith Kipper is a Middle East expert at the non-governmental Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C.  She says the organization has a history of providing social help to its citizens. 

 
Judith Kipper 
  
"Hezbollah over the years was able to provide the social welfare and education possibilities, medical care, food help, and so on that the government of Lebanon has never been able to provide for all its peoples."

Kipper adds that 14 Hezbollah members elected to the Lebanese parliament have done a good job as lawmakers. 

But outside Lebanon, Hezbollah is not known for its social and political work. It has a militaristic image to much of the world.

Hezbollah has been accused of kidnapping two Israeli soldiers, which Israel says is the reason for its current assault in Lebanon. 

Former Israeli Defense⁵ Forces Chief of Staff General Moshe Yaalon points to a broader Hezbollah agenda. "Hezbollah ideology⁶ is not just about Lebanon or about Israel.  Hezbollah ideology is Iranian revolutionary, Shia extremist ideology, which means to impose Islam everywhere possible."

 
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah 
  
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah charges that Israel is the aggressor. He says Muslims have a duty to fight Israeli occupation of their lands.

"Our brothers and friends and beloved ones and the people should trust us and our enemy should know that the resistance hand can reach anywhere and that the response of the resistance is beyond any measures."

Hezbollah has acquired an estimated 13,000 rockets, which are now killing⁷ Israeli civilians⁸.  Israeli intelligence says Iran is the source of that arsenal⁹.

Dennis Ross  
  
Former U.S. Middle East envoy¹⁰ Dennis Ross condemns¹¹ the bombardment of Israeli civilians. He says Hezbollah also is hurting Lebanon. "The Lebanese economy was beginning to recover.  This was a huge tourist season for them and Hezbollah, obviously, took this step without any regard whatsoever¹² for the impact it would have on the rest of Lebanon."

Lebanon's infrastructure and civilian population have been hit hard by the Israeli military -- even though it is believed most Lebanese do not support Hezbollah.  

Clayton Swisher  
  
Clayton Swisher, of the Middle East Institute in Washington, says the Lebanese perceive the Israeli assault as a form of collective punishment. "They are not going to identify Hezbollah as the agent of punishment.  They're going to identify Israel and the American-made weapons that are being dropped on them.  This is going to have the reverse effect that Israel was hoping for."

Swisher notes that Israel cannot allow Hezbollah to kidnap its soldiers, but he says the Israelis are in a predicament. No response would lead to more violations¹³ of Israeli sovereignty.

But an excessive reaction could increase sympathy for Hezbollah, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist.

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

5 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。

6 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

7 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。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

10 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

11 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

13 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。