VOA标准英语2010年-US Support for Democracy Key to Improv

Numerous undemocratic regimes now enjoy solid American backing

Mohamed Elshinnawi | Washington, DC 11 May 2010

 
Mideast scholars believe President Obama should recognize that many of the Islamist groups whose policies and tactics the US opposes are often the most dynamic political groups in the region.

President Barack Obama's widely publicized speech in Cairo one year ago this June raised hopes that U.S. relations with the Muslim world might soon improve.

But experts say that, in many Muslim-majority countries, widespread concerns persist that better relations can't be achieved without clearer U.S. support for democratization in the Middle East - a region where numerous undemocratic regimes now enjoy solid American backing.

Backing democracy

In his Cairo address, President Obama pledged to support governments that protect the rights of people to speak their minds and have a say in how they are governed, that respect the rule of law and the equal administration of justice, that are transparent¹ and don't steal from the people.

"America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them," said Obama. "And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments - provided they govern with respect for all their people."

The biggest challenge the Obama Administration faces in keeping that promise is finding a way to involve all Islamist movements in the process, according to Reza Aslan, a University of California associate professor of religion. He spoke² at a recent conference sponsored by the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy.

Involving Islamist movements

Aslan said Washington has traditionally supported autocratic regimes in the belief that, without them, anti-west Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood³ movement will come to power. But in Aslan's view, a respect for a peoples' right to select their own rulers is more important.

University of California Associate Professor Reza Aslan says political participation⁴ has the power to moderate radical⁵ tendencies.

"That has to be as part of a larger process of trying to give Muslims in that region not just a voice in the political process, but give them an opportunity to actually decide for themselves who it is that they want to lead them," said Aslan.

Aslan said President Obama must recognize that many of the Islamist groups whose policies and tactics the U.S. opposes are often the most dynamic political groups in the region. And, he notes, political participation has the power to moderate radical tendencies and take away the appeal of extremist ideologies⁶.

Tarik Ramadan, professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford⁷ University agrees. He said the only criterion for engaging the Islamists should be that they denounce violence as a political weapon and adhere to democratic rules.

"You may agree or not with Islamists trends, as long as they are against violence and are playing the political game, we have to talk to them," said Ramadan. "There is no way to say you are good Muslim because you are supporting me and you are a bad Muslim because you are resisting me."

Case in point: Egypt

Ramadan says the real test for President Obama's support for democracy will be in Egypt. There, Ramadan says, the president has to pressure the Mubarak regime to open the political arena⁸ and stop using constitutional amendments⁹ to stifle¹⁰ real political competition.

Public opinion surveys and focus groups in the Muslim world show a recurring¹¹ sense that the United States puts forward liberal ideas of democracy, but then ignores them by supporting undemocratic regimes in the Muslim world.

Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, said that creates the sense that the U.S. does not trust Muslims with democracy.

"There is a perception that the U.S. does not really want democracy in the Muslim world because of the fear of what might come out of that and, in particular, that Islamist parties might prevail," said Kull. "So that it is a key choice that the U.S. has to make; is the U.S. going to show more trust towards the Muslim people in terms of the choices that they may make in a democratic process?"

Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy, recommends that the Obama Administration change its stance towards nonviolent moderate Islamist parties.

Trusting Muslims with democracy

Kull recommends that the Obama Administration change its stance towards nonviolent moderate Islamist parties.

Radwan Masmoudi, president of Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, agrees with that approach. He says that as President Obama broadens the dialogue to include civil societies and the concerns of the common citizens, he will realize how U.S. policy needs to change. But he stresses that continued U.S. support for democracy in the Muslim world is a key requisite¹² to improving relations.

"There was a little bit of a delay, but I think in the last four or five months, we have seen renewed emphasis being put again on improving relations with the Muslim world and dialogue and on implementing¹³ the promises of the Cairo speech," said Masmoudi.

He notes that President Obama spent his first year in office focused on battling the economic crisis and reforming health care. It is unrealistic, he says, to expect him to have delivered on most of his promises, less than a year after his inspirational address to the Muslim world.
 

1 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

4 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

5 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。

6 ideologies   

n.思想（体系）( ideology的名词复数 )；思想意识；意识形态；观念形态

参考例句：

• There is no fundamental diversity between the two ideologies. 这两种思想意识之间并没有根本的分歧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Radical ideologies require to contrast to their own goodness the wickedness of some other system. 凡是过激的意识形态，都需要有另外一个丑恶的制度作对比，才能衬托出自己的善良。 来自辞典例句

7 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

8 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

9 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。

10 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

11 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

12 requisite   

adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
• Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。

13 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句