VOA标准英语2009年-Clerics Condemn Somali Insurgents for Violating

Somali Islamic scholars have condemned¹ Islamist insurgents² for launching an attack on pro-government forces and African Union peacekeepers Tuesday in Mogadishu. The fighting is the heaviest of its kind since Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia last month.
　
A Somalian boy wounded in a mortar³ attack in Mogadishu is taken to hospital in the Somalian capital, 24 Feb 2009

The cleric representing moderate Islamic scholars, Sheik Bashir Ahmed Salad, criticized the Islamic Party, a newly-formed hard-line opposition⁴ faction⁵, for starting two days of violence that killed and wounded scores of civilians⁶.

The cleric said the fighting violated the religion of Islam by harming innocent people. He said those who launched the attack will be held accountable for the bloodshed.

The Islamic Party, an alliance of four opposition factions⁷ led by the Asmara-wing of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, took responsibility for the attack. The Islamic Party is an ally of Somalia's most militant⁸ Islamist fighting force, al-Shabab. Earlier this month, the Islamic scholars denounced al-Shabab for killing⁹ scores of aid workers and civilians in recent years.

Both al-Shabab and the Islamic Party have rejected the U.N.-backed unity¹⁰ government of moderate Islamist President Sharif Sheik Ahmed, who was elected by an expanded Somali parliament a month ago to help unify¹¹ Somalis and bring stability to the country for the first time in 18 years.

While Islamic scholars and many ordinary citizens have cheered President Sharif's election, the Somali leader is facing the challenge of trying to balance the demands of his Islamist-supporter base, who want him to impose Islamic law in Somalia, and the demands of regional and western governments that want him to keep the unity government inclusive but secular¹².
　
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, (File)

President Sharif is also facing a dilemma¹³ on whether to support or reject the Islamic scholars' demand for the African Union to withdraw 3,500 peacekeeping troops from Somalia within the next four months. On Wednesday, Sheik Bashir Ahmed Salad again said it is imperative¹⁴ for the peacekeeping force to leave Somalia.

The scholars' hard-line stance against foreign peacekeepers and their demand for Islamic law in Somalia prompted at least one al-Shabab leader to question whether the militant group, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, could maintain popular support if the African Union troops left.

In a surprise interview with reporters in Mogadishu, Mohamed Kofi, an al-Shabab spiritual leader close to one of the al-Qaida-trained founders¹⁵ of the group, said he supports the Islamic scholars and what they have asked of the Somali president.

Kofi said it is not right to oppose the Islamic scholars, whom he said have made good decisions and have the support of the Somali people.

Al-Shabab gained numerous recruits and won vast amounts of territory during its two year insurgency¹⁶ against Ethiopia and the government it protected. Since the departure of Ethiopian troops and the election of an Islamist leader to head the government, al-Shabab has focused its attacks on the African Union peacekeeping force known as AMISOM.

Somalis say it is likely that the Islamic scholars are hoping that the departure of AMISOM troops will drain popular support from al-Shabab and give President Sharif a chance to consolidate¹⁷ the government under moderate Islamist rule.

1 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。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

6 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。

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

9 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。

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

12 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。

13 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

14 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

15 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

16 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

17 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。