VOA标准英语2010年-Two US Muslims Visit 30 Mosques in 30

Amid the backdrop of the controversy¹ surrounding plans for an Islamic center near the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and as a pastor² in the southeastern state of Florida draws headlines for sponsoring a Quran burning, two young Muslim men have set out to discover America - Islamic America.  Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq are visiting 30 mosques⁴ in 30 states in 30 days.

And they are documenting their experiences on their website:  30mosques.com.

VOA - K. Farabaugh
Aman Ali
 Aman Ali traces his ability to tell a story to his upbringing in a small town in the Midwestern state of Ohio. "I was not only the only Muslim at school, I was the only minority.  And so, I wasn't just explaining to people what being a Muslim was.  I was explaining to them why I wasn't black," he said.

Since the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, Ali says he has felt as though not only his religion has been hijacked⁵ by terrorists, but also the story of Muslims in the United States.

"I feel that there hasn't been anybody out there that has been telling the story of Muslims correctly, so it's time that we as Muslims tell our own stories about what Islam is like for each of us," he said.

Together with his friend Bassam Tariq, Ali set out in 2009 to document on the Internet the Muslim experience in New York City.

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, they visited 30 mosques in 30 days around the city's five boroughs⁶.

What Ali says he learned from the experience is that Muslims are a permanent part of the American landscape. "Muslims aren't just practicing their religion, they are here to stay.  They are integrating themselves and weaving themselves into the American social fabric," he said.

 K. Farabaugh-VOA
Bassam-Tariq
 

Bassam Tariq says the 2009 project gave rise to their more ambitious plan to document the Muslim experience across the country. "It's 30 days, 30 states, 30 mosques," he said.

Ali and Tariq's "Ramadan Road Trip" began last month at an Islamic prayer room in New York City. 

Their month-long journey took them to the oldest mosque³ in North America - in small town of Ross, North Dakota - and to an adobe⁷ mosque on a New Mexico mountain top.

After traveling nearly 18,000 kilometers and meeting hundreds of people eager to share their stories, the two men arrived at a Shia mosque on the outskirts⁸ of Chicago, where they were just as eager to share their story with us.

With only a few days left in their adventure, Tariq says they have yet to encounter any backlash against Muslims. "We haven't run into any communities that have had any problems with their neighbors.  In fact, we've seen the opposite," he said.

Ali says he sees their journey and how they are documenting their experiences on the Internet as a way to change perceptions about Muslims in America. "I've traveled a lot overseas.  And people in other countries, in general, think Muslims are oppressed here.  And I don't want to downplay the severity of hate crimes and security issues and things like that, but it's not representative of our lifestyle whatsoever," he said.

Tariq and Ali say that days spent fasting on the road and nights spent eating at different mosques in communities across the country has also been a journey of self-discovery.

"Going around Muslim America, and really seeing how broad of a definition of America people are willing to accept - both Muslim and non-Muslim - I mean, this is home.  I feel like this is home," said Tariq.

"We are not two-dimensional characters," said Ali.  "We live in this country; we contribute to this economy; we go to public school; we're human beings.  We play basketball.  I like Bon Jovi.  You know, I do things just like anyone else.  I'm a Muslim.  I'm proud of who I am, and I'm accepting of other cultures as well."

The final leg of Tariq and Ali's journey will take them to Tennessee and Michigan, before returning to New York City where they will celebrate the end of Ramadan on September 11.
 

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

3 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。

4 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

5 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

6 boroughs   

（尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇

参考例句：

• London is made up of 32 boroughs. 伦敦由三十二个行政区组成。
• Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. 布鲁克林区是纽约市的五个行政区之一。

7 adobe   

n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司

参考例句：

• They live in an adobe house.他们住在一间土坯屋里。
• Adobe bricks must drived dried completely before are used.土坯砖块使用前一定要完全干燥。

8 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。