VOA常速英语2007年-Muslims in Oil-Rich Azerbaijan Grow Increasingl

By Brian Padden
Baku
24 December 2007

The oil curse is a term often used in explaining why many countries rich in natural resources remain underdeveloped and unstable¹. Corruption² and the lack of democracy are often cited as factors. Oil-rich Azerbaijan, which operates under one party rule, is coping with an increasingly restive³ portion of its Muslim population. As part of his series on the politics of oil, VOA's Brian Padden reports that Azerbaijan's government is moving to squelch⁴ what it sees as Islamic militancy⁵, a policy that some analysts⁶ say may not work.

Friday prayers at the Abul Bakr Mosque⁷ in Baku are so crowded that some men pray in the street.

The majority of people in the Central Asian country of Azerbaijan are Shiiite Muslims. Most were unable to practice their faith during Soviet⁸ rule, when religious expression was repressed. While the men attending this prayer service say a post-Soviet religious revival⁹ is not radical¹⁰, the government is concerned about the growth of Islamic extremism.

Azerbaijani Minister for Religious Issues Hidayat Orujov, says outside agents are using some religious organizations to carry out terrorist acts.

"They are instigating¹¹ instability in Azerbaijan through their various organizations," said Orujov. "However, the government of Azerbaijan and the police are maintaining very strict control in Azerbaijan to inhibit¹² these very negative cases."

The Abul Bakr Mosque is rumored¹³ to be affiliated¹⁴ with the fundamentalist Wahhabi sect¹⁵ of Saudi Arabia. But people here deny such a connection. They say they are being harassed¹⁶ by the government.

Haci Agatagi says he was arrested without cause, detained for five days, and forced to shave his beard.

"When the police stopped me, I said, 'Show me the law which says I cannot have a long beard'. And they said, 'You are Wahhabi. You must be stopped. This is a normal procedure against all of you'," said Agatagi.

Azerbaijan has traditionally had a tolerant environment. Women on the street dress more like those in Paris than in Saudi Arabia. The government promotes itself as secular¹⁷, but it is also autocratic and does not tolerate political dissent¹⁸.

Ilgar Mammadov with the Baku Political Research and Advocacy Institute says political repression¹⁹ is beginning to fuel discontent but he says a fundamentalist threat to the country's stability is far off.

"The real fundamentalist threat in Azerbaijan is likely only in 10 to 15 years if Azerbaijan continues this path of falsified elections and suppression of democratic and secular alternatives," said Mammadov.

Mammadov says international pressure for democratic reform is needed to provide people with moderate alternatives. The United States says its aim in Azerbaijan is to promote democratic institutions to ensure long-term security in the region.

But some critics say when it comes to choosing between promoting democracy or guaranteed access to Azerbaijan's oil, the United States does not always do the right thing.

"We have not been entirely²⁰ true to our principles in promoting democracy," said Alex Alexiev, who is with the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C.

He says Washington is less critical of authoritarian²¹ states like Azerbaijan if they are strategic allies, a policy he believes is short-sighted.

Instead, Alexiev urges the West to do more to develop moderate, democratic governments to ensure its long-term strategic interests in the Caspian region.

1 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

4 squelch   

v.压制，镇压；发吧唧声

参考例句：

• The President wants to squelch any perception that the meeting is an attempt to negotiate.总统想要消除任何视本次会议为谈判尝试的看法。
• You cannot squelch wanting.你不能压制要求。

5 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

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 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

9 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

10 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

11 instigating   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Distant but clear Longyin instigating the eardrums of every person. 遥远却清晰的龙吟鼓动着每一个人的耳膜。 来自互联网
• The leader was charged with instigating the workers to put down tools. 那位领导人被指控煽动工人罢工。 来自互联网

12 inhibit   

vt.阻止，妨碍，抑制

参考例句：

• Don't let ego and greed inhibit clear thinking and hard work.不要让自我和贪婪妨碍清晰的思维和刻苦的工作。
• They passed a law to inhibit people from parking in the street.他们通过一项法令以阻止人们在街上停车。

13 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

14 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

15 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

16 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

17 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

18 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

19 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

20 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

21 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。