VOA常速英语2007-Muslim Speed Dating for Lifelong Commitments

By Ade Astuti and Susy Tekunan
Chicago, Illinois
05 October 2007
 

In the days before Ramadan, young Muslims from all over the United States gathered in Chicago, in the midwestern state of Illinois for the most popular Muslim matchmaking event in the country. The "Matrimonial Banquet" is hosted by the Islamic Society of North America. VOA's Ade Astuti and Susy Tekunan attended this year's banquet, an event described by many as "Muslim speed dating." Jim Bertel narrates¹.

"There are five girls on each table and five guys on each table. Every five minutes, the guys rotate from table to table. So you get to meet everyone within a few hours,” explains Shabana Qurshi. This is how she and hundreds of other young American Muslims hope to find a spouse². Since conservative Muslims frown upon dating in the traditional western sense, this banquet, and others like it in other cities, offer a modern twist to finding a lifelong mate.

Shamsad Hussein is one of the organizers. "In Islam, free mixing of the sexes is not allowed. You're supposed to have a chaperone when you're talking to someone of the opposite sex."

What makes this uniquely Muslim is the large number of parents who accompany their children. Musharat Ahmad is one of them. “I'm here to attend the matrimonial service with my son, who is 30 years old, a physician who is a third year psychiatry³ resident at the University of Kansas. Because we, Muslims, as you know, we don't date, so he's trying to meet somebody in a setting that's conducive⁴ to his Islamic faith."

The participants are mostly young professionals who live and work in the U.S.  But for most, like Ghasa Mashoor, finding a Muslim spouse is a priority.  "It's very important for me to have someone who's a practicing Muslim. I want someone who's going to help me in my faith and I want to have a family who's Muslim."

For that reason, gatherings⁶ like this attract hundreds of young Muslim singles, including Aneela Jhouri. "A lot of people are very busy,” she says. “It's hard to come across, and it's hard to meet people and also hard to come across Muslim people, men, so I think this is a good way to know some potentials, and also people who's also interested in getting married."

Yet with only a few minutes with each group, Mashoor says making a love connection is a challenge. "It's a little of an awkward format⁷, but it gives you enough time to see whether you are interested in contacting that person for later on. So, you get someone contact information and, that way, you can contact them later on if you're interested."

Organizers say the banquets have produced many successful marriages in the past. This year's participants all hope to be among the lucky ones to find true love at this year's gathering⁵.

1 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

2 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

3 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

4 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

7 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。