VOA常速英语2008年-Turkey's Parliament Eases Ban on Islamic Head S

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul 2-345315
09 February 2008

Turkey's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party has succeeded in changing the country's constitution to ease a ban on Islamic head scarves worn in universities. But the move is proving controversial, with opponents of the reform saying it threatens the secular¹ foundation of Turkey. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of two constitutional amendments² that ease the ban on Islamic head scarves in universities. But the reform is dividing the country.

As deputies were voting, tens of thousands of people demonstrated close to parliament in support of the head scarf ban.

One woman tells VOA her way of life is being threatened.

 

"They want to change the regime," she said. "They want Turkey to turn into a moderate Islamic state from a secular one. But we are here as Turkish citizens and we will use our democratic rights until the very end...."

Although Turkey's population is overwhelmingly Muslim, it has been a strictly³ secular state since 1923. Easing the head scarf ban in universities has fueled concern that the majority Justice and Development party is trying to undermine secularism⁴. But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking earlier this week, denied any secret agenda, saying the party is only ending discrimination against religiously dressed women.

 

He said Turkey is taking an important step and "everyone should know we don't have any other goal than to end the victimization of the girls who are locked out of our universities."

Opponents of the head scarf ban claim hundreds of thousands of women were barred from university since the measure was introduced in 1980.

Prime Minister Erdogan made ending the head scarf ban a key policy in last July's general election which his party won in a landslide⁵.

He has been under pressure from his conservative base to ease the restriction⁶. The latest opinion polls show a majority of the people favor lifting the ban and six out of 10 women wear headscarves.

But although the constitutional amendments passed, it remains⁷ unclear whether universities will open their doors to Islamically dressed women. And women will continue to be banned from wearing the headscarf in government buildings.

Leading figures of the judiciary have condemned⁸ Saturday's vote, and the reform is likely to be challenged in the Constitutional Court.

Analysts⁹ fear that the controversy¹⁰ could put Turkey's government in direct confrontation¹¹ with the country's highest court.

1 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。

2 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

3 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

4 secularism   

n.现世主义；世俗主义；宗教与教育分离论；政教分离论

参考例句：

• Unless are devoted to God, secularism shall not leave us. 除非我们奉献于神，否则凡俗之心便不会离开我们。 来自互联网
• They are no longer a huge threat to secularism. 他们已不再是民主的巨大威胁。 来自互联网

5 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

6 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

7 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。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 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。

10 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

11 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。