2007年VOA标准英语-American Young Adults Learn About Islam

By Deborah Block
Washington, D.C.
02 February 2007
 
watch Understanding Muslims

A group of 60 young adults held discussions in Washington recently (in late January) designed to break down ignorance and misperceptions about Muslims and the Islamic religion. The group consisted of Muslims, Christians² and Jews who wanted to better understand each other's religious views.  VOA's Deborah Block has more.

A documentary about the Prophet Muhammad, whose revelations and teachings became the foundation of Islam, opened the event. The film, called "Muhammad:  Legacy³ of a Prophet," also follows the lives of several Muslims in the United States, including a nurse who works with Arabic-speaking hospital patients.

 
An Arabic-speaking nurse isfeatured in the documentary
An Arabic-speaking nurse, speaking with a patient says, "I speak Arabic.  There's nothing to worry about at all.  If you need anything, let me know."

Alex Kronemer is the documentary's producer. He hopes the film will fill in the gaps of misunderstanding about Islam.  "I think the thing it has accomplished⁴ most of all is that it has put a human face on Islam, particularly in America where most of what we know comes across headlines, often very frightening headlines, and what this program I hope has done has made a large viewing public aware of who Muslims are and who the Prophet Muhammad is."

 
Alex Kronemer
Later the participants broke into groups to ask the Muslims to explain more about their faith. They included Amina Mohammad whose father grew up in Iraq.   She hopes she can help reduce negative stereotypes⁵ about Islam.  "I think some people had an image of Islam as kind of a militant⁶, very strict religion and they realized that through our discussions and through the video that there's actually a lot more to it.  It's about peace, love, understanding, being good to your neighbor, being part of the community, giving to the orphans⁷, taking care of the poor -- just like Christianity and Judaism have these concepts."

The Washington-based Buxton Initiative helped sponsor the event.  Doug Holliday, who is Christian¹, began the program with a Muslim friend to foster reconciliation⁸ among people from different faiths.  "I think the trouble is today that a lot of people have never met a Muslim, Jew or Christian.  They've reacted to a lot of stereotypes about all these people.  And once people start connecting, it's amazing how that reverberates⁹ and has a kind of ripple¹⁰ effect.  And our view is that if people can start to form these little islands of trust and hope that is not inconsequential."

Travis Pickell, who is also Christian, was encouraged by the interaction at his table.  "It was important to me to be able to come here and personally relate and get to know some Muslims and also some Jewish people and talk about things that really mattered. I think people fear what they don't understand."

Stephanie Hertz, who is Jewish, learned that many Muslims in the United States have been fighting prejudice against them since the 9/11 [September 11, 2001] terrorist attacks.

"Young Muslim-Americans and their family members since 9/11 have had to defend themselves at times as an American. They've had to sometimes convince other people that even though they're Muslim, they are also American.

She thinks the more people of different faiths communicate with each other, the more roadblocks of religious ignorance and misperceptions will be torn down.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

5 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 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。

7 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

8 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

9 reverberates   

回响，回荡( reverberate的第三人称单数 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射

参考例句：

• His voice reverberates from the high ceiling. 他的声音自天花板顶处反射回来。
• No single phrase of his reverberates or penetrates as so many of La Bruyere's do. 他没有一个句子能象拉布吕耶尔的许多句子那样余音回荡，入木三分。

10 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。