美国小镇穆斯林市议会选举

AS IT IS 2015-11-11 US Town Elects Muslim City Council 美国小镇穆斯林市议会选举

A Detroit suburb has made history by electing a city council where a majority of members are Muslim.

The town of Hamtramck has four Muslim-Americans as city council members. Two councilmen - Anam Miah and Abu Musa – were re-elected. Saad Almasmari received the most votes. He received 22 percent of the vote.

Almasmari moved to Hamtramck in 2009. He became a U.S. citizen in 2011.

Hamtramck has a population of 22,423, and 41 percent are foreign-born, according to the United States Census¹ Bureau. Estimates of Hamtramck’s Muslim population stands between 30 percent and 50 percent, according to United Press International.

The Muslim population of Hamtramck came from Yeman, Bangladesh and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Reactions to the campaigns and elections varied². Almasmari said his campaign posters were damaged by paint. Bill Meyer, a city leader, says the Muslim council members “bring stability, security and sobriety while lessening³ the amount of drugs and crime in the city." 

Meyer’s comments came from a Detroit Free Press article on the Hamtramck election campaign.

Words in This Story

suburban⁴ – adj. living in or relating to a suburb or to suburbs in general

council – n. a group of people who are chosen to make rules, laws, or decisions about something

sobriety – n. the state of not being drunk

1 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

2 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

3 lessening   

减轻，减少，变小

参考例句：

• So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少，她花多少，她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。

4 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。