2006年VOA标准英语-African-American Muslim Poet Pulls No Punches i

By Ade Astuti
Chicago, IL
10 October 2006
 
watch Poet Amir Sulaiman

New Yorker Amir Sulaiman  pulls no punches [does not soften¹ his blows] in his poetry.   As a Muslim African American, Amir Sulaiman feels he is called to use his poetry to shed light on the problems facing both Muslim and black youth today. VOA's Sondang Sirait and Ade Astuti caught up with the outspoken² muslim poet as he toured Chicago, Illinois.  Wayne Bowman narrates³ their report.

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Amir Sulaiman

Amir Sulaiman is a poet with a message.  This New York native explores issues of race and religion through his verse. "Hi, my name is Amir Sulaiman. I'm gonna do some poetry. I'm not dangerous, I am danger. I'm not angry, I am anger.

I've been writing for a long time, ever since I was young. When I was writing poetry I thought it was something that everyone did. So, when I was a boy, you know like you play football, you go to school, you eat, you drink, you sleep, you write poetry. So, I thought it was something that everyone did. And then later, I learned that everyone doesn't write poetry. And so I realized that it was a talent or a skill. And so, I wanted to really nurture⁴ it as a gift that's been given [to] me from Allah."

As an African American Muslim, Sulaiman speaks to the hopes and fears experienced by both African Americans and Muslim Americans. "I am someone between insane and black…"

It's also a message about the alienation⁵ felt by some in both communities.

"Those two things: my Islam and my ethnicity. These things are primary - that is my art, that is everything. So, nothing that I write, that I can think of, escapes this reality. So, these two things, more than anything else have shaped my consciousness."

Sulaiman now takes his poetry across the United States, performing in both large and small venues⁶. Whether he's performing in front of thousands of people, or dozens, his poetry and message seem to resonate with his audience.

This activist⁷ poet is not well-received by everyone. Some feel he can be too explosive at times.  But Amir Sulaiman feels he is sending out an important message that many people, regardless of race or creed⁸, can relate to.

"We must pray, fast, live, dream, fight, kill, and die free. Silencing me is like silencing a fire alarm, hoping that your house won't burn down. The alarm is not what causes the fire in the house. My poetry is not what causes this thing in the people. It's an expression of it."

Sulaiman says he does not speak for himself alone in his poetry, but that many people recognize his voice as their own.  He calls that "a great blessing," and "an equally great responsibility."

1 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

2 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

3 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

4 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

5 alienation   

n.疏远；离间；异化

参考例句：

• The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.新政策导致许多选民疏远了。
• As almost every conceivable contact between human beings gets automated,the alienation index goes up.随着人与人之间几乎一切能想到的接触方式的自动化，感情疏远指数在不断上升。

6 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。