and I'll explain how these identities come together.

我會向你們解釋， 這幾個身份是如何融合到一起的。

It started four years ago,

四年前，

when a friend and I opened our first Ramadan fast

當我和我的一個朋友，

at one of the busiest mosques in New York City.

在紐約最繁忙的清真寺之一齋戒時，

Crowds of men with beards and skullcaps were swarming the streets.

街上熙熙攘攘地全是帶著清真帽的大鬍子，

It was an FBI agent's wet dream. (Laughter)

這簡直是FBI的春夢。 （笑聲）

But being a part of this community, we knew how welcoming this space was.

但作為這個群體的一員， 我知道這個地方並不排外。

For years, I'd seen photos of this space being documented

這幾年來，我看了很多記錄這個地區的照片，

as a lifeless and cold monolith,

它被描繪為一個死氣沈沈的龐然大物，

much like the stereotypical image painted of the American Muslim experience.

就像美國穆斯林的刻板形象一樣。

Frustrated by this myopic view,

正是因為對這種目光短淺的失望，

my friend and I had this crazy idea:

我和我的朋友有了一個瘋狂的主意：

Let's break our fast at a different mosque in a different state

我們決定，在齋戒期間，

each night of Ramadan

每晚都在另一個州的清真寺度過，

and share those stories on a blog.

然後把其間發生的故事上傳網路。

We called it "30 Mosques in 30 Days,"

我們將其稱為「三十個清真寺裡的三十天」。

and we drove to all the 50 states

我們驅車前往五十個州，

and shared stories from over 100 vastly different Muslim communities,

然後把在超過一百個 清真寺裡發生的故事分享到網路，

ranging from the Cambodian refugees in the L.A. projects

從洛杉磯項目裡的柬埔寨難民，

to the black Sufis living in the woods of South Carolina.

到深入北卡羅萊納州叢林的黑蘇菲派。

What emerged was a beautiful and complicated portrait of America.

從中，我們看到了一個 美麗又複雜的美國肖像。

The media coverage forced local journalists

媒體的報道迫使當地記者

to revisit their Muslim communities,

重新造訪他們的穆斯林社區，

but what was really exciting was seeing people from around the world

但真正令人興奮的是， 全世界的人都因為受此啟發，

being inspired to take their own 30-mosque journey.

而去踏上他們的「三十天旅程」。

There were even these two NFL athletes

還有兩個美國橄欖球聯盟的運動員，

who took a sabbatical from the league to do so.

專門請了長假去做這件事。

And as 30 Mosques was blossoming around the world,

正當「三十天清真寺」 在全世界遍地開花之時，

I was actually stuck in Pakistan working on a film.

我實際上正在巴基斯坦忙著製作一部影片。

My codirector, Omar, and I were at a breaking point with many of our friends

共同導演歐麥和我，當時正與很多朋友

on how to position the film.

在如何定位影片的問題上爭執不休， 幾乎處在絕交的邊緣。

The movie is called "These Birds Walk,"

這部片名叫《小鳥會走路》，

and it is about wayward street kids

拍攝的是關於街頭流浪兒

who are struggling to find some semblance of family.

奮力尋求家庭溫暖的故事。

We focus on the complexities of youth and family discord,

我們把焦點放在 青少年和家庭糾紛的複雜性上，

but our friends kept on nudging us to comment on drones and target killings

但我們的朋友執意要讓加入 對無人機和定點轟炸的論點，

to make the film "more relevant,"

來使得影片更「貼近時事」，

essentially reducing these people who have entrusted us with their stories

最終是把這些因為信任我們 才講出自家故事的人們

into sociopolitical symbols.

變成一個個社會政治符號。

Of course, we didn't listen to them,

當然，我們沒聽他們的，

and instead, we championed the tender gestures of love

反之，我們的影片充沛著濃濃的愛意，

and headlong flashes of youth.

和執拗的剪影青春。

The agenda behind our cinematic immersion was only empathy,

我們想傳達的只是一種設身處地的情感，

an emotion that's largely deficient from films

一種從穆斯林地區的電影中

that come from our region of the world.

經常缺失的情感。

And as "These Birds Walk" played at film festivals and theaters internationally,

《小鳥會走路》在全球 許多電影節和影院播出之後，

I finally had my feet planted at home in New York,

我終於在家鄉紐約的電影界有了一席之地。

and with all the extra time and still no real money,

有了大把的空閒卻依舊沒有多少收入，

my wife tasked me to cook more for us.

太太讓我多給家裡做做飯。

And whenever I'd go to the local butcher to purchase some halal meat,

每當我去當地的肉店賣清真肉時，

something felt off.

我總感覺有些不對勁。

For those that don't know, halal is a term used for meat

對不清楚的人，我想在此解釋一下 清真肉的意思，

that is raised and slaughtered humanely following very strict Islamic guidelines.

被屠宰的動物是被人道屠宰， 整個過程遵循伊斯蘭準則。

Unfortunately, the majority of halal meat in America

不幸的是，大多數的美國清真肉

doesn't rise to the standard that my faith calls for.

都沒達到伊斯蘭標準。

The more I learned about these unethical practices,

我對這些缺德行為了解得越多，

the more violated I felt,

我就越感到被侵犯，

particularly because businesses from my own community

特別是因為那些商戶 都是來自我們自己的社群，

were the ones taking advantage of my orthodoxy.

卻在做著佔自家信仰便宜的勾當。

So, with emotions running high, and absolutely no experience in butchery,

所以，頭腦一熱，毫無屠宰經驗的我，

some friends and I opened a meat store

和我的朋友開了家肉店，

in the heart of the East Village fashion district.

地點正在東村時尚區的心臟地帶。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We call it Honest Chops,

我們為之起名為「良心肉鋪」，

and we're reclaiming halal by sourcing organic, humanely raised animals,

我們用有機、人道培養的牲畜，

and by making it accessible and affordable to working-class families.

和適合工薪階層的價格 重新為清真正名。

There's really nothing like it in America.

在美國，這還是第一次。

The unbelievable part is actually that 90 percent of our in-store customers

最不可思議的是 我們百分之九十的顧客，

are not even Muslim.

甚至都不是穆斯林。

For many, it is their first time interacting with Islam

對於很多人來說， 這都是他們第一次

on such an intimate level.

如此接近穆斯林。

So all these disparate projects -- (Laughter) --

於是，這些截然不同的項目—— （笑聲）

are the result of a restlessness.

——都是一個個不眠之夜的成果。

They are a visceral response to the businesses and curators

對於一些試圖過度簡化我的信仰和族群的 商戶和管理者，

who work hard to oversimplify my beliefs and my community,

這是我本能的回應。

and the only way to beat their machine is to play by different rules.

對付他們這個集團的唯一方法 就是不按常理出牌。

We must fight with an inventive approach.

我們要用富有創造力的方法回應。

With the trust, with the access, with the love that only we can bring,

我們要用信任、用我們的渠道、 用我們特有的愛，

we must unapologetically reclaim our beliefs

不依不饒地奪回我們的信仰，

in every moving image, in every cut of meat,

無論它表現為一幀畫面、還是一塊肉。

because if we whitewash our stories for the sake of mass appeal,

因為我們若為了迎合大眾口味 而去粉飾我們的故事，

not only will we fail,

我們不止會失敗，

but we will be trumped by those with more money and more resources

還會被更有錢、更有資源的人所操縱，

to tell our stories.

才能講述我們的故事。

But the call for creative courage is not for novelty or relevance.

但對於富有創造力的勇氣的呼喚， 絕不是為了新奇感或為了貼近時事。

It is simply because our communities are so damn unique and so damn beautiful.

這一切都只是因為我們這些族群 都太獨特了，太美好了。

They demand us to find uncompromising ways to be acknowledged and respected.

他們要求我們去找到一種絕不折衷的方式， 去獲得認同和尊重。

Thank you.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）