VOA标准英语2010年-How America Looks Through Muslim Eyes

Documentary 'Journey into America' explores freedom, justice and tolerance¹ in US

Mohamed Elshinnawi | Washington, DC 03 August 2010
 

Photo: Courtesy Akbar Ahmed
The documentary, 'Journey into America,' explores life for Muslims in the United States in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks.

But for many Americans, Islam is associated with extremists like Osama bin² Laden³.

To shed light on this religious group and counter mutual⁴ distrust, American University Professor Akbar Ahmed and his team of young researchers traveled to more than 75 American cities.

Those journeys are  chronicled in a documentary called "Journey into America."

Negative perceptions

"We don't like the Muslims, that is all," says one American woman in the documentary. "They don't believe in our Jesus."

"Their book tells them to kill," says another man.

Statements like that prompted Ahmed and his team to craft a documentary around two themes: what it means to be a Muslim in America and what it means to be American especially after the September 11 attacks.

 

"Remember before 9/11, they came here and considered this the best place in the world to be a Muslim," says Akbar. "After 9/11, they faced many challenges."

Khadija Rivera, a Muslim who wears a headscarf, was one who faced obstacles.

"They were spitting on me," she says. "Some people told me to remove the veil for safety. I refused because that sounded like a sign of defeat."

Challenging stereotypes⁵

Ahmed says "Journey into America" revealed that many Americans lack information about Islam.

"Many thought that Islam preaches violence through the Koran. Many think that Islam suppresses women and treats women very badly."

Courtesy Akbar Ahmed
A gathering⁶ of Muslim women in the documentary includes a pediatrician, financial analyst⁷, pharmacist and real estate agent.

The documentary attempts to shatter stereotypes about Muslim-American women. In one scene, scarf-wearing women are asked their occupations. They turn out to be a pharmacist, pediatrician, real estate agent and financial analyst with Exxon-Mobil.

Hailey Woldt, a researcher on the documentary, wanted to see how Americans in a small southern town would react to a veiled woman. She put on an abaya -- an Islamic robe -- and went to a crowded restaurant.

"I walked in and everyone in the restaurant looked at me, put their forks down and had their mouth open and for a minute they were silent," she says. "But after that everyone went back doing what they normally do."

Lines of communication

Woldt is convinced American Muslims are fitting in well.

"All they need to do now is simply communicate that Islam is a part of America and that they are bringing something, adding something, to the American culture," Woldt says.

Courtesy Akbar Ahmed
'Journey into America' visits Arlington National Cemetery⁸ to examine the graves of Muslim troops who died in service to their country.

Such as giving their lives for their country. At Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. servicemen and women are buried, the team videoed graves of Muslim-Americans.

They also filmed Muslim-Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, Muslims at the oldest mosque⁹ in America in Cedar¹⁰ Rapids, Iowa and a Shi'ite congregation in New York City.

Muslim-Americans living the American dream are also featured. People like Munir Chaudry, who came to America in 1971 with $100 in his pocket, and now owns a company that offers jobs at his factory in Chicago.

"Factory workers as well as mechanical department, shipping¹¹ and receiving, anybody with the right qualifications could move up to the supervisory positions," he says.

Courtesy Akbar Ahmed
American University Professor Akbar Ahmed believes the founding fathers meant to integrate Muslims into American society.

Ahmed believes integrating Muslims in America is what the founding fathers had in mind.

"A statue at Jefferson's University of Virginia carries a tablet which reads 'Religious Freedom 1786: God, Jehovah, Brahma, Allah,'" he says. "Just think of it, Jefferson owned a Koran and welcomes the believers of Allah (Arabic for God)."

At the Statue of Liberty, the historic gateway¹² to America, the documentary team concludes that the United States must revive its principle of pluralism to integrate American Muslims.
 

1 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

2 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

3 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

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 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。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

9 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

10 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

11 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

12 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。