Book Aims to Help Young Americans Understand Islam

《阿米娜的声音》一书旨在帮助年轻美国人了解伊斯兰教

Middle school is a difficult time for many young people.

对很多年轻人来说，中学是一个困难时期。

For Amina, an attack on the Islamic Center her family attends adds to the problems she already has. And a visiting uncle from Pakistan says Amina should read the Quran more often and stop playing the piano.

对阿米娜来说，她家人参与的一次对伊斯兰中心的袭击更加剧了她已经存在的问题。一位来访的巴基斯坦叔叔表示，阿米娜应该更多地阅读古兰经并且停止弹钢琴。

Anima is the main character in the fictional story, "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan. Khan was at a Washington, D.C area bookstore recently talking with children, parents, and teachers about the book.

阿米娜是Hena Khan撰写的《阿米娜的声音》这个虚构故事的主角。Khan最近在华盛顿特区一家书店与孩子们、家长们以及教师们讨论了这本书。

Khan hopes Amina's story will help young readers understand what it is like for a young Muslim girl to live in the United States. Khan talked with VOA about her book.

Khan希望《阿米娜的声音》能够帮助年轻读者了解一位生活在美国的年轻穆斯林女孩。Khan同美国之音谈到了她的这本书。

"So I think it's really important through storytelling and through a character that they can relate to and identify and see themselves in, and realize that, 'Ok, this little girl Amina and her family isn't as different from mine as I thought...and her community and her friends and her family look very similar to mine.' And hopefully that helps develop more understanding and more tolerance of Muslims."

“我认为非常重要的是，要通过讲述一个故事，通过一个他们能够理解并且找到自己影子的角色，让他们认识到，‘阿米娜这个小女孩和她的家人并不像我想象的那样不同，她的社区、她的亲朋好友看起来跟我非常相似。’我也希望这有助于增进人们对穆斯林的了解和宽容。”

Khan says that the media usually show negative actions of Muslims, so people fear their Muslim neighbors.

Khan表示，媒体通?；嵴故灸滤沽值母好嫘形?，所以人们害怕他们的穆斯林邻居。

The writer grew up near Washington, D.C. and had problems with finding a balance between being both Pakistani and American at the same time. Khan remembers a friend who wanted to change her name to one that sounded "more American."

这位作家在华盛顿特区附近长大，她过去很难在同时作为巴基斯坦和美国人上找到平衡。Khan记得有位朋友想要改名，让名字听上去“更加美国化。”

Jeanette Collier is a teacher at a local Jewish school. She plans to add the book to her school's library.

Jeanette Collier是当地犹太学校的老师。她计划把这本书加入到她所在学校的图书馆。

"Books are the second-best way for kids to learn about other people and to gain empathy and understanding of other people who are different than they are. Meeting those other people is the best way, making friends and having conversations, but I think our biggest challenge is getting the kids to read the books, because they go to what they know."

“书籍是孩子们了解他人并且获得他人共鸣和理解的第二好的方，而遇到这些人，和他们交朋友、对话是最好的办法。但我认为我们最大的挑战是让孩子们来阅读这些书籍，因为他们只会去读他们了解的书籍。”

One of the young readers at the bookstore, Mia Endelman, told VOA what she learned from the book.

这家书店中一位年轻读者Mia Endelman告诉美国之音她从这本书中学到了什么。

"I kind of learned a little bit about Muslims, like, I didn't know what Muslim churches, or a mosque, I didn't know it was called that before."

“我对穆斯林有了一点了解，就像以前我不了解清真寺，不知道它就叫那么个名字。”

"Amina's Voice" is the first book published by a new publishing company, Salaam Reads. The name "Salaam" means "peace" in Arabic.

《阿米娜的声音》是Salaam Reads这家新的出版公司出版的第一本书。Salaam的意思在阿拉伯语中的意思是和平。

Hena Khan says that finding a publisher was difficult. Now the book is part of a series. It will show young readers "a wide variety of Muslim children and families and offer Muslim kids an opportunity to see themselves" in positive stories.

Khan称找到一家出版商非常困难。这本书是一系列书籍的一部分。它将向年轻读者展示“各式各样的穆斯林儿童和家庭，并向穆斯林孩子提供一个在积极的故事中看到自己影子的机会。”

Greater understanding between Americans of all religions is a goal for both the writer and publisher. "Amina's Voice" comes at a time of intense debate over issues such as immigration and concerns over extremist speech targeting religious and ethnic groups.

加深美国人对所有宗教的了解是该作者和出版社的目标?！栋⒚啄鹊纳簟返某霭嬲稻鸵泼褚约暗Ｓ钦攵宰诮毯妥逡岬募搜月劢屑ち冶缏鄣氖焙颉?/p>

I'm Jill Robbins.

吉尔·罗宾斯报道。

Middle school is a difficult time for many young people.

For Amina, an attack on the Islamic Center her family attends adds to the problems she already has. And a visiting uncle from Pakistan says Amina should read the Quran more often and stop playing the piano.

Anima is the main character in the fictional story, "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan. Khan was at a Washington, D.C area bookstore recently talking with children, parents, and teachers about the book.

Khan hopes Amina's story will help young readers understand what it is like for a young Muslim girl to live in the United States. Khan talked with VOA about her book.

”So I think it’s really important through storytelling and through a character that they can relate to and identify and see themselves in, and realize that, 'Ok, this little girl Amina and her family isn’t as different from mine as I thought…and her community and her friends and her family look very similar to mine.' And hopefully that helps develop more understanding and more tolerance of Muslims."

Khan says that the media usually show negative actions of Muslims, so people fear their Muslim neighbors.

The writer grew up near Washington, D.C. and had problems with finding a balance between being both Pakistani and American at the same time. Khan remembers a friend who wanted to change her name to one that sounded "more American."

Jeanette Collier is a teacher at a local Jewish school. She plans to add the book to her school's library.

“Books are the second-best way for kids to learn about other people and to gain empathy and understanding of other people who are different than they are. Meeting those other people is the best way, making friends and having conversations, but I think our biggest challenge is getting the kids to read the books, because they go to what they know.”

One of the young readers at the bookstore, Mia Endelman, told VOA what she learned from the book.

"I kind of learned a little bit about Muslims, like, I didn’t know what Muslim churches, or a mosque, I didn’t know it was called that before."

"Amina's Voice" is the first book published by a new publishing company, Salaam Reads. The name "Salaam" means "peace" in Arabic.

Hena Khan says that finding a publisher was difficult. Now the book is part of a series. It will show young readers "a wide variety of Muslim children and families and offer Muslim kids an opportunity to see themselves" in positive stories.

Greater understanding between Americans of all religions is a goal for both the writer and publisher. "Amina's Voice" comes at a time of intense debate over issues such as immigration and concerns over extremist speech targeting religious and ethnic groups.

I'm Jill Robbins.

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Words in This Story

uncle – n. the brother of your father or mother or the husband of your aunt

character - n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show

fictional –adj. something imaginative, not literally true

challenge - n. a difficult task or problem

positive - adj. thinking about the good qualities of someone or something