VOA慢速英语2015 弥合法国犹太人和穆斯林的关系

AS IT IS 2015-07-13 Healing Jewish-Muslim Relations in France 弥合法国犹太人和穆斯林的关系

France is guarding against new violence after the terrorist¹ attack last month near the city of Lyon. The attack came only six months after deadly shootings in Paris. One community is very worried – French Jews. The attack has added tensions to relations between French Jews and Muslims.

The ties were already tense over conflict in the Middle East and anti-Semitism, hatred² of and discrimination against Jews. Yet France’s Jewish and Muslim communities share a common tradition. And as far as one religious leader is concerned, the two groups are meant to be friends.

Drivers slow down to look at Michel Serfaty, who is both a big man physically³ and a Jewish leader or rabbi. He wears a black hat on a visit to Le Courneuve, a town near Paris. A snow-white beard covers his face.

Rabbi Serfaty is telling a man in a white T-shirt about being called a dirty Jew as he walked down the street. The man agrees it was a shameful⁴ act. But he says it does not represent the opinions of many Muslims like himself.  

The two men talk in front of the offices of the Union of Islamic Organizations of France, a group with ties to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood⁵. It seems a strange place to find a rabbi, but Michel Serfaty is not your usual clergyman.

For years, he has traveled around France in an old mini-bus covered with signs saying “Solidarity between Jews and Muslims,” and “We are more alike than you think.” The rabbi walks through neighborhoods with high crime rates and large immigrant communities. He talks with Muslim leaders, students and even drug dealers⁶.

Since the Paris terrorist attacks, Michel Saferty’s work has taken on new meaning. The rabbi hands out flyers to those he meets. He says people sometimes take his handouts⁷ and throw them into the street. They say Jews must be killed and that Adolf Hitler has not finished his work. Many Jews were killed in Europe during the years Hitler ruled Germany.

Michel Serfaty has heard hard things, but he has never had any serious incident -- which means that there is the possibility of dialogue.

Discussions are what the Jewish Muslim Friendship Association is all about. Rabbi Serfaty directs the group from his synagogue in Ris-Orangis, a quiet town near Paris. Next to the religious center sit a mosque⁸ and a church. The rabbi says the placement of the buildings next to each other was done for a reason: to push for understanding among the three groups.

But Michel Serfaty has had round-the-clock protection since the Paris attacks. The rabbi wanted an interfaith team, but says he could not find any Jews who were interested. So he travels around France with several young Muslims who work for his association and Imam Mohammed Azizi. Rabbi Serfaty has known the Muslim leader for years. They both immigrated⁹ to France from their native Morocco.

Imam Azizi says the fight against anti-Semitism, discrimination and hatred of Muslims takes a long time. He says it requires a lot of energy and effort.  

Attacks against Jews in France have increased since Rabbi Serfaty founded his group in 2005. Often the men responsible for the attacks are young Muslims. But prejudice goes both ways.

Mr. Serfaty remembers the time he met a group of Hasidic Jews. One told him he was wrong to continue his work. The man also said that Jews and Muslims will hate each other forever.

But the rabbi pushes on. In La Courneuve, he arrives unannounced at the Union of Islamic Organizations of France, known locally as the UOIF.

Union official Ghazi Wehbi offers coffee and says Mr. Serfaty seems like a member of his family. The two men take photographs together. They agree that there needs to be more communication between Jews and Muslims.

Mr. Wehbi praises Michel Serfaty and his program. He says more dialogues will make Jews and Muslims understand each other. He adds the UOIF also opens its doors to non-members of the organization.

In June, the French government awarded Mr. Serfaty the National Order of Merit¹⁰ for his efforts. His organization has grown to several offices around France. Slowly, he believes, the seeds of Jewish-Muslim friendship are bearing¹¹ fruit.

Words in This Story

shameful – adj. causing dishonor

flyer(s) – n. pieces of paper that have messages or other information printed on them

interfaith – adj. involving people of different religions

round-the-clock – adj. all day and all night

prejudice – n. a feeling against a person or group because of religion or race

bear(ing) – v. to have or produce

dialogue – n. discussions, communciations

1 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

2 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

5 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。

6 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

7 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。

8 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。

9 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

10 merit   

n.优点，价值，功绩，成绩；vt.值得

参考例句：

• There is great merit in dealing fairly with your employees.公正地对待你的雇员有极大好处。
• History affords us lessons that merit attention.历史给我们提供了值得注意的借鉴。

11 bearing   

n.关系，影响，举止，姿态，方位，方向

参考例句：

• What you said had not much bearing on the problem.你说的话跟这个问题没有多大关系。
• He preserved his grave and dignified bearing.他保持庄重威严的仪态。