VOA标准英语2012--New York Firebombing Prompts Solidarity with Muslims

New York Firebombing Prompts Solidarity¹ with Muslims

Authorities suspect that a man arrested in connection with a series of firebombings against Muslim and Hindu targets in New York may have acted out of revenge after being thrown out of a neighborhood convenience store for alleged² petty theft. Our correspondent reports the incident and its aftermath highlight both suspicion of and solidarity with New York’s Muslim community.

A surveillance camera captured one of five attacks Sunday in Queens and nearby Nassau County.

Among the targets: a home used for Hindu worship...

A family home...

The Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center in Queens.

On Monday, New York City Police Commissioner³ Ray Kelly quoted witnesses as saying the suspect was ejected from a convenience store on December 27th.

“That individual tried to steal a container of milk and a bottle of Frappuccino," said Kelly. "When they were pushing him out of the store, he said words to the effect that ‘we’re going to get even; we’re going to get back at you.’”

While it was not immediately clear if the attacks were based on religion, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came to the Islamic center Tuesday to lend his support to the Muslim community.

“I think we all know that we are in this together," said Bloomberg. "Discrimination against anybody is discrimination against everyone.”

At his annual interfaith breakfast prayer on Friday, Bloomberg used that very phrase, which he attributed to his father. More than a dozen Muslim clergy⁴ and civic⁵ leaders boycotted⁶ the breakfast to protest alleged police surveillance of the New York Muslim community.

On Tuesday, the spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Cyrus McGoldrick, said the allegations of police surveillance are a sore point with many U.S. Muslims.

“Fear-mongering about Islam and other American minorities have ripped this country apart," said McGoldrick. "Warmongering⁷ politicians and willing media confirm this narrative⁸. The warrantless and comprehensive surveillance of the Muslim community by the NYPD confirms this narrative.”

Although no one was injured, the fire bombings brought many politicians, civic leaders and clergy of other faiths to express solidarity with their Muslim neighbors. Gregory Meeks represents Queens in the U.S. Congress.

“The message is to the rest of the world that the United States of America, that New York City, will not stand for intolerance anywhere," said Meeks. "And we will join together because we are together as one to make sure that we combat anyone who tried to separate us.”

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said the fire bombings, whether they were bias⁹ attacks or not, will be vigorously prosecuted¹⁰ and severely¹¹ punished.

1 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

4 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

5 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

6 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

7 warmongering   

[法] 煽动战争

参考例句：

• What's warmongering got to do with Freedom Road? 自由之路与煽动战争有什么关系？ 来自电影对白
• The speech hits out at warmongering. 这篇演说对煽动战争的行为大加鞭笞。 来自互联网

8 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

9 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

10 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。