VOA慢速英语2014 土耳其担忧ISIL武装冲突的扩散

 

AS IT IS 2014-08-07 Turkey Fears the Spread of ISIL Militancy 土耳其担忧ISIL武装冲突的扩散

The Sunni militant¹ group ISIL has increased attacks in Syria near the border with Turkey.  A growing number of Turks fear the violence could spread to their country.  Earlier this month, a mosque² in Istanbul was burned down.  The building belonged to Turkey's Shi'ite Muslim minority.  Officials blamed the attack on ISIL. 

The city of Istanbul is home to large numbers of followers³ of both Sunni Islam and Shi'ite Islam – or Jafari Islam, as it is known in Turkey.  But tensions between the two sides have been rising following the burning of Istanbul’s Jafari Muhamadiye Mosque.

Turkey’s neighbors Iraq and Syria have seen growing religious unrest between Sunnis and Shi'ites.  The violence has mainly been blamed on the rise of ISIL -- the Sunni group formerly⁴ known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.  Now the group simply calls itself the Islamic State.  It considers Shi'ites heretics – individuals who dispute accepted religious beliefs.

Sinan Ulgen is with the Carnegie Europe Institute in Brussels.  He says fears are growing that ISIL's war is coming to Turkey.

"There are allegations that some members of a network that claim to be close to ISIL have engineered this. Some of these militants⁵ groups have been able to establish their networks over the years, at the time the Turkish government turned (a) blind eye to many of these opposition⁶ groups. It just shows you Turkey is not going to be safe from all the instability from Syria."

Turkey's ruling Islamist-based AK Party is one of the main supporters of the rebels fighting the Syrian government.  The attack on the mosque in Istanbul has not been the only incident. The city’s Shi'ites say they have been the target of increasing sectarian violence.

Sectarian Divide Fueled by Politics?

Politics could also be partly to blame for the rising tensions.  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a candidate for president in elections this month.  He is seeking support among his largely conservative Sunni religious base.  Critics have accused him of increasingly using language aimed at Shi'ites.  He also has resisted calls to condemn⁷ the mosque attack.

Mehmet Gomez is head of the Diyanet, the agency that administers the Islamic religion in Turkey.  He did visit the mosque in an attempt to bridge differences.

Observers say such actions could ease rising tensions and concerns over the growing danger of militant groups like ISIL.

However, ISIL flags and signs are increasingly seen at protests organized by Islamic groups.  This suggests that at least some Sunnis in Turkey have sympathy for the group.  Experts warn that ISIL's increasing presence is likely to put pressure on Turkey’s diverse society.  I’m Mario Ritter.

1 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。

2 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。

3 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 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。

6 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。

7 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。