English Quiz 214

(English Quiz 214)

1. Could the world be home to a new theocracy? Starting last month, in a tropical country of 65 million, thousands of faithful, many dressed in religious garb, have marched the capital's streets demanding that the draft of the new constitution currently being debated enshrine their beliefs as the state faith. In our era of sectarian strife, many of us shudder at the prospect of another nation blending church and state. Look what happened in Iran and Afghanistan, we think, or what might have occurred if former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke had reigned supreme in America. Yet the marches in Thailand barely broke international headlines. Did I mention? The religion that sparked the protests is Buddhism.
Q: 試翻 "Starting last month, ... as the state faith."

2. In the West, Buddhism is often thought of as spirituality lite, the equivalent of golf to rougher contact sports—except with a better sartorial sense. Certainly, the saffron and burgundy robes, the serene statuary, all paint an exotic picture that brings to mind harmless, crystal-wearing Californians rather than religious fanatics. Our image of a clash of civilizations does not include renegade Buddhist monks. Nevertheless, we should be every bit as worried about the protest marches in Bangkok as those in other countries with different faiths, because the Thai call to prayer is being driven by the same worrying trends: nationalism and communalism. Thailand, famous worldwide for its golden Buddhist temples, is also home to millions of Muslims, most of whom live in the country's south. A religious-based insurgency there has claimed more than 2,000 lives since 2004, with some rebels calling for a separate Islamic homeland. Since Thailand's military coup last September, the violence has only gotten worse, even though the junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, is himself a Muslim. With many of the killings involving Muslims targeting Buddhists (although plenty of Muslims have been murdered as well), it's not surprising that sentiment in usually tolerant Thailand is turning hostile. "Ten years ago, it would have failed," says Mettanando Bhikkhu, a prominent Buddhist scholar in Bangkok, of the movement to make the religion the country's official faith. "But among these Buddhist nationalists, burning sentiments against other religions are very strong."
Q: 試翻 "Certainly, ... rather than religious fanatics."

3. Taking stock of the new mood, General Sonthi announced after the protests that he didn't mind if Buddhism was added to the constitution, so long as the move promoted peace in Thailand. Other junta members said they would not stand in the way of a state religion. The lack of government opposition is likely a sign of a weakened leadership aiming to please the public, rather than a reflection of personal zealotry. Yet many Buddhists in Thailand have no wish to see their faith enter politics. And Thai Muslims, most of whom already feel marginalized in this overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, will read any such move as more evidence of their second-class status. "It will inflame the south," says Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security specialist at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "Muslim countries will believe we are against minorities." That would be a shame, since historically Thai culture has shown tolerance toward other cultures and religions. "Most Thais would like to find a compromise or middle path on this [constitutional] issue," says Panitan. A Buddhist theologian couldn't have said it any better.
Q: 試翻 "The lack of government opposition ... personal zealotry."
Q: 試翻 "And Thai Muslims, ... their second-class status."