2007年VOA标准英语-Symposium Examines Islam in American Society

By Mohamed Elshinnawi
Washington
07 May 2007
 

A recent symposium¹ in Washington, D.C. examined "What does it mean to be Muslim in America?" Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding hosted the event, along with On Faith, an interactive² conversation on religion sponsored by Newsweek magazine and The Washington Post newspaper. VOA's Mohamed Elshinnawi has more.

Muslims in America are a microcosm of Muslims in the world. They come from more than 60 nations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, as well as the United States. For both immigrants and American converts, the task of formulating³ their sense of identity is crucial. Muslim Americans often struggle with what it means to be Muslim in America and the perception non-Muslims can have about them.

"I do not really know a lot about Muslims,” admitted one woman. I can't claim to know a lot. I do not know what they believe in or the tenets of their religion."

A man on the street felt, "I am scared of it to be honest with you, it brings a little bit of fear to me after being here 9/11."

Another woman said, "To a certain extent, it seems like an aggressive culture." 

Reporter Sally Quinn, a symposium panelist, admits that she has heard many such misconceptions about Islam in America. "I began to see how difficult it is to be a Muslim in this world, particularly to be a Muslim in the U.S. because I know that what we see in the papers and the actions of the few do not represent the tenets of the Muslim faith. There are still a lot of negative perceptions there." Quinn says these perceptions are formed because most Americans know very little about Islam.

But Hadia Mubarak, a senior researcher at Georgetown Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the president of the National Muslim Student Association offers another explanation.

"I think the problem is that people are looking at the current tension between the U.S and the Muslim world through the lenses or the prism of religion when it really has nothing to do with Islam whatsoever⁴."

Mubarak argues that certain political, socio-economic and historical grievances⁵ in much of the Muslim world are what really fuel anti-Americanism. 

Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America and Professor of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, agrees. She adds that sensational⁶ media coverage⁷ that dwells on Muslim violence fuels anti-Muslim sentiment in the West. "The media need to represent Muslims better, to clarify the reality of the position that those people who are extremists, who are doing acts of violence are marginal."

Muslim family

Professor Mattson says the media can help Americans distinguish between mainstream⁸ Islam and what is simply a politicized or militant⁹ movement that uses Islam for its purposes. In the meantime, the Islamic Society of North America is doing its part to educate the public.

"We are working hard and we are fortunate in having so many partners, especially in the interfaith community,” says Mattson. “Christian organizations, Jewish organizations, interfaith organizations, who want to help us by educating their members to understand Islam and not be intolerant towards us."

Muslim American businessmen also launched Bridges TV, a 24-hour cable channel to explain Islam and educate the public about their Muslim neighbors.

Imam Yahya Hendi, the Muslim Chaplain at Georgetown University, says that American Muslims should also assert themselves as an integral part of the American society: "We are here to stay, there are seven million Muslim Americans and this is our country. For me what does it mean to be Muslim American is to be loyal to our country, America, to our values as Americans but also to be loyal to our values of Islam."

 

Hadia Mubarak says with more understanding of what Islam is all about, the American public will be more comfortable with Muslim Americans. "In fact there is nothing about Islam that makes it incompatible¹⁰ with western democracy or western values of human rights and gender¹¹ equality and everything that we value as Americans."

Salman Ahmad is a Pakistani-American rock musician. He says that Muslim Americans can use Islamic art, poetry and music as a cultural bridge to humanize their identity.

"The Sufi music that comes out from the sub-continent and from Persia is a heritage from Muslims who rediscovered their own identity, and also as a way to build a bridge between the Muslim world, the West and America," says Ahmad.

He says modern music can be a vehicle for bridging the ancient gap between Islam and the West.

1 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

2 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

3 formulating   

v.构想出( formulate的现在分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese government is formulating nationwide regulations on the control of such chemicals. 目前，中国政府正在制定全国性的易制毒化学品管理条例。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Because of this, the U.S. has taken further steps in formulating the \"Magellan\" programme. 为此，美国又进一步制定了“麦哲伦”计划。 来自百科语句

4 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

5 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sensational   

adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的

参考例句：

• Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
• Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

7 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

8 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

9 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。

10 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

11 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。