政客发表反穆斯林演讲，美国穆斯林社区生活受影响

AS IT IS 2016-06-24 Anti-Muslim Speech Affects American Islamic Community 政客发表反穆斯林演讲，美国穆斯林社区生活受影响

This is the second article in a three-part VOA series on Islamist extremism in the United States.

The likely Republican² presidential nominee³ -- Donald Trump⁴ -- has called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

Earlier this month, in a speech the day after the worst mass shooting in modern American history, Trump said, “the bottom line is that the only reason the killer⁵ was in America in the first place was because we allowed his family to come here. That is a fact, and it is a fact we need to talk about.”

If such a ban had been in place in the 1980s, Imran and Amina Bashir would probably still be in Pakistan.

Today, the Bashirs live in Northern Virginia. Imran and his son Danish work in the computer technology industry. His other son, Danyiel, is studying to be a doctor of pharmacy⁶ at the University of Baltimore.

At the Bashir home, Imran is cooking dinner while Danish talks with friends on social media about a television program that is popular with many young Americans.

Imran told VOA he speaks to many people about his religion. One reason, he says, is because he is worried about how some politicians talk about Muslims.

“We are a middle-class family. We want to just be normal people.”

His son Danish says he does not understand Trump.

“I am still an American, too. And being an American is about being together, so my view is different from his. His hatred⁷ (of IS) is correct. But pointing to people in your own back yard? That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Danish says he is lucky to live in a mixed neighborhood and have friends from many backgrounds.

“There is no segregation⁸ in terms of that. It’s equal opportunity. And that is what we have in America. We can come from nothing into becoming something great and achieving our goals. And that is why my parents came to America,” he says.

Muslims in the U.S.

The Bashirs and other families show the reality of Muslims in the United States.

More than 3 million Muslims live here. In fact, a recent Pew Research Center report predicted Islam will be the second-largest religion in the United States by 2050.

While some U.S. cities have areas that are mostly Muslim, the majority of Muslims live in mixed neighborhoods – like the one where the Bashirs raised their children.

The Pew study also says a higher percentage of Muslims in the U.S. are better educated and earn higher wages than those who belong to most other religions.

A ban on Muslims?

Yet some politicians describe a picture of Muslims in the United States as isolated⁹ and dangerous.

Last March, after the terrorist¹⁰ attacks in Belgium, Senator¹¹ Ted¹ Cruz, said, “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol¹² and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”

Around the same time, Donald Trump began calling for a ban on Muslims entering the country.

He suggested that the Muslim faith supports hatred and violence. “Where this hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine,” he said.

Many legal and terrorism experts quickly called Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. unconstitutional and counter-productive.

Seth Jones works at the RAND Corporation, a study group. He is an expert on terrorism. He says banning Muslims from entering the country is a waste of resources.

Jones also says a ban against all Muslims does not deal with the cause of the problem.

“This isn’t about Islam, this isn’t about Sunni Islam. This is about a very small percentage of individuals who hold what we call a Salifi-jihadist world view to establish a global caliphate,” he told VOA.

In other words, Jones says a small, unusual group of Muslims wants the entire world to operate under a conservative¹³ Islamic government.

Jones says a better solution than a ban on all Muslims is to ask those who oppose Islamic extremist violence to help identify people who might do harm.

Anti-terrorism experts also note that politicians who speak against Muslims actually help the Islamic State group.

Lorenzo Vidino works at The Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at The George Washington University.

“The message ISIS sends out (to Muslims) is that the West hates you, the West is at war with Islam. You do not belong in Western society,” he says.

As a result, says Vidino, Muslims who used to feel at home in the U.S. may decide to support the Islamic State and act against their country.

Words in This Story

bottom line – expression the most important part of something; the most important thing to consider

back yard – expression an area near where you work or live

segregation – n. the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other

counterproductive – adj. not helpful; making the thing you want to happen less likely to happen

worldview – n. the way someone thinks about the world

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 republican   

n.拥护共和政体的人； adj.共和政体的，（Republican）共和党人，（Republican）共和党的

参考例句：

• Some families have been republican for generations.有些家庭世代都支持共和党。
• A third candidate has entered the contest for the Republican nomination.第三个候选人已经加入角逐共和党提名的行列。

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

6 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。

7 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。

8 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 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。

11 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

• The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
• The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。

12 patrol   

v.巡逻，巡查；n.巡逻，巡查，巡逻队

参考例句：

• They attacked two soldiers on patrol.他们袭击了两名正在巡逻的士兵。
• Policemen patrol the streets.警察在街上巡逻。

13 conservative   

adj.保守的，守旧的；n.保守的人，保守派

参考例句：

• He is a conservative member of the church.他是一个守旧教会教友。
• The young man is very conservative.这个年轻人很守旧。