VOA标准英语 Pakistan's Supreme Court Grants Bail to Red Mosque C

Pakistan's Supreme¹ Court has granted bail² to the hard-line cleric who led Islamabad's Red Mosque³ - a former hub for the country's militant⁴ groups. The military's deadly assault on gunmen barricaded⁵ inside Abdul Aziz's mosque in 2007 sparked a surge in militant attacks.
　
Maulana AbduL Aziz, the chief cleric of Islamabad's Red Mosque (2007 file photo)

The lawyer for cleric Abdul Aziz said Wednesday that the country's Supreme Court had allowed his client to post bail after spending nearly two years under house arrest.

Cleric still faces charges

Lawyer Shaukat Siddiqui told reporters outside the court that his client still faces charges relating to the July 2007 standoff between armed religious students, militants⁶ and security forces in the heart of Islamabad.

He says today the justices observed there was no solid evidence that would prevent the cleric from being granted bail.

Siddiqui said he plans to submit a bail payment of about $2,500 to the country's anti-terrorism court, after which his client will be free while he awaits trial.

Who is Abdul Aziz?

Abdul Aziz was a top cleric at Lal Masjid, or the Red Mosque, in Islamabad - a hard-line Sunni mosque with a history of links to militant groups. In late 2006 and 2007, students at the male and female seminaries attached to the mosque participated in anti-government demonstrations⁷ and called for the imposition of Islamic law.

After a series of occasionally violent demonstrations and confrontations⁸ with authorities, hundreds of people barricaded themselves inside the mosque complex in July 2007.

Cleric Abdul Aziz was caught trying to escape while dressed in a burqa. Soon after, commandos stormed the mosque, killing⁹ more than 100 people. Critics say hundreds more people were killed by security forces.

Al-Qaida, Taliban vow¹⁰ retaliation¹¹

The assault provoked a wave of anti-government protests and vows¹² from al Qaida and Taliban-linked militant groups to carry out suicide bombings in retaliation.

Since the Red Mosque siege, militant attacks have sharply increased. Military analysts¹³ and western officials have worried the attacks have badly shaken Pakistan's already weak central government.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

3 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。

4 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。

5 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

8 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

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 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

11 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

13 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。