2007年VOA标准英语-Muslim Rights Group Protests Extraordinary Rend

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
18 September 2007

A Muslim human-rights group held a small demonstration¹ in downtown Nairobi to protest what it said was the rendition of at least 117 people from Kenya to Ethiopia as part of the U.S.-led war on terror. Nick Wadhams has the story from Nairobi.

The Muslim Human Rights Forum² says the renditions have caught up dozens of Kenyans, Ethiopians, and Somalis who come from the border region between the three nations and have no connection to terrorism.

The group's chairman, Ali Amin Kimathi, says Kenya's alliance with the United States and Ethiopia in the pursuit of suspected terrorists in the Horn of Africa has led to gross violations³ of human rights.

"We have had so many people who have had their rights violated, locked up in jails in Kenya, locked up in several facilities by the mere⁴ fact of associations, alleged⁵ associations, with suspects of terrorism," said Kimathi. "What has been going on in this crackdown is a crackdown that targets anyone who is thought to have any connections with a suspect of terrorism, all right? That defies race, it defies religion or ethnicity."

After news reports exposed the practice, U.S. and Ethiopian officials acknowledged in April they had secretly detained terrorism suspects in the Horn of Africa. Critics were especially concerned because many were sent to Ethiopia, which has a history of human-rights abuses.

The roundup netted a 24-year-old American citizen, Amir Mohamed Meshal, who was detained in Kenya and later held in Ethiopia on allegations that he fought with radical⁶ Islamists in Somalia. Meshal was released in Ethiopia in May and he returned to the United States

The Muslim Human Rights Forum says the practice has continued despite public attention. Last month, it alleged that a Muslim man who had campaigned for the release of such suspects, Farah Mohammed Abdullahi, was abducted⁷ in Kenya and has not been heard from since. The man's brother was among those sent to Ethiopia.

Kenyan police say they have no record that Abdullahi was arrested.

The Muslim Human Rights Forum says it plans to file for an injunction in Kenyan court in a bid to stop the arrest and rendition of Kenyans.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 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。

4 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

5 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

6 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。

7 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。