ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zak Ebrahim - Peace activist
Groomed for terror, Zak Ebrahim chose a different life. The author of The Terrorist's Son, he hopes his story will inspire others to reject a path of violence.

Why you should listen

When Zak Ebrahim was seven, his family went on the run. His father, El Sayyid Nosair, had hoped Zak would follow in his footsteps -- and become a jihadist. Instead, Zak was at the beginning of a long journey to comprehend his past.

Zak Ebrahim kept his family history a secret as they moved through a long succession of towns. In 2010, he realized his experience as a terrorist’s son not only gave him a unique perspective, but also a unique chance to show that if he could escape a violent heritage, anyone could. As he told Truthdig.com, “We must embrace tolerance and nonviolence. Who knows this better than the son of a terrorist?”

In 2014 Ebrahim published the TED Book The Terrorist's Son, a memoir written with Jeff Giles about the path he took to turn away from hate. In early 2015 the book won an American Library Association Alex award.

More profile about the speaker
Zak Ebrahim | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Zak Ebrahim: I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace.

Zak Ebrahim: Ja sam sin teroriste. Ovako sam izabrao mir.

Filmed:
5,839,825 views

Ako ste odgojeni u dogmi i mržnji, možete li izabrati drugačiji put? Zaku Ebrahimu je bilo samo sedam godina kada je njegov otac pripomogao u planu da se Svjetski trgovinski centar izbombarduje 1993. godine. Njegova priča je šokantna, snažna i povrh svega, inspirativna.
- Peace activist
Groomed for terror, Zak Ebrahim chose a different life. The author of The Terrorist's Son, he hopes his story will inspire others to reject a path of violence. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:14
On NovemberStudeni 5thth, 1990,
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5. Novembra 1990.,
00:16
a man namedimenovan El-SayyidEl-Sayyid NosairNosair walkedhodao
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čovjek po imenu El-Sajid Nosair ušetao je
00:19
into a hotelhotel in ManhattanManhattan
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u jedan hotel na Menhetnu
00:21
and assassinatedubijen RabbiRabin MeirMeir KahaneKahane,
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i ubio rabina Meira Kahane,
00:24
the leaderlider of the JewishŽidovski DefenseObrana LeagueLiga.
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lidera Židovske Lige Odbrane.
00:28
NosairNosair was initiallyna početku foundpronađeno not guiltykriv of the murderubistvo,
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Nosair u prvi mah
proglašen nevinim za ubistvo,
00:31
but while servingsluži time on lessermanjoj chargesoptužbe,
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ali dok je služio zatvorsku
kaznu zbog manjih prekršaja
00:34
he and other menmuškarci beganpočeo planningplaniranje attacksnapadi
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on i drugi ljudi počeli su
planirati napade
00:37
on a dozendesetak NewNovi YorkYork CityGrad landmarksobilježja,
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na desetak poznatih
znamenitosti u Njujorku
00:39
includinguključujući tunnelstuneli, synagoguessinagoge
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uključujući tunele, sinagoge
00:41
and the UnitedUjedinjeni NationsNarodi headquarterssedište.
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i sjedište UN-a.
00:44
ThankfullySrećom, those plansplanove were foiledspriječio
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Srećom, ti planovi su osujećeni
00:46
by an FBIFBI-A informantdoušnik.
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od strane jednog od FBI doušnika.
00:49
SadlyNažalost, the 1993 bombingbombardovanje
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Nažalost, to se nije
desilo sa bombardovanjem
00:51
of the WorldSvijet TradeTrgovina CenterCentar was not.
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Svjetskog trgovinskog centra 1993. godine.
00:54
NosairNosair would eventuallyna kraju be convictedosuđeni
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Nosair je na kraju bio osuđen
00:56
for his involvementuključivanje in the plotparcela.
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zbog učešća u zavjeri.
00:59
El-SayyidEl-Sayyid NosairNosair is my fatherotac.
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El-Sajid Nosair je moj otac.
01:04
I was bornrođen in PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
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51988
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Rođen sam u Pitsburgu, Pensilvaniji
01:06
in 1983 to him, an EgyptianEgipatski engineerinženjer,
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1983. godine, kao sin egipatskon inžinjera
01:09
and a lovingljubavi AmericanAmerički mothermajka
and gradegrade schoolškola teachernastavnik,
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i brižne američke majke,
učiteljice u osnovnoj školi
01:13
who togetherzajedno triedpokušao theirnjihova bestnajbolje
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koji su skupa
davali sve od sebe
01:14
to createstvoriti a happysrećan childhooddetinjstvo for me.
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da stvore sretno djetinjstvo za mene.
01:17
It wasn'tnije untildo I was sevensedam yearsgodine oldstari
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Tek nakon što sam
napunio sedam godina
01:18
that our familyporodica dynamicdinamičan startedzapočet to changepromjena.
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dinamika naše
porodice počela je da se mijenja.
01:22
My fatherotac exposedizloženo me to a sidestrana of IslamIslam
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Otac me izložio jednoj strani islama
01:25
that fewnekoliko people, includinguključujući the majorityvećina of MuslimsMuslimani,
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koju jako malo ljudi,
uključujući većinu muslimana
01:28
get to see.
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uspije vidjeti.
01:31
It's been my experienceiskustvo that when people
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Po mom iskustvu, kada ljudi
01:32
take the time to interactinterakciju with one anotherdrugi,
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izdvoje vrijeme za
interakciju jedni sa drugima
01:35
it doesn't take long to realizeshvatiti that for the mostnajviše partdeo,
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ne treba puno da
bi se shvatilo da uglavnom
01:38
we all want the sameisto things out of life.
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svi mi želimo iste stvari u životu.
01:40
HoweverMeđutim, in everysvaki religionreligija, in everysvaki populationstanovništvo,
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Međutim, u svakoj
religiji, u svakoj populaciji,
01:43
you'llti ćeš find a smallmali percentageprocenat of people
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naći ćete mali procenat ljudi
01:46
who holddržite so ferventlystrasno to theirnjihova beliefsverovanja
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koji se tako gorljivo
drže svojih uvjerenja
01:49
that they feel they mustmora use any meansznači necessaryneophodno
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da osjećaju da moraju
koristiti svako neophodno sredstvo
01:52
to make othersdrugi liveuživo as they do.
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kako bi natjerali druge da žive kao oni.
01:55
A fewnekoliko monthsmjeseci priorranije to his arresthapšenje,
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Par mjeseci prije njegovog hapšenja,
01:57
he satsat me down and explainedobjašnjeno that
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posjeo me pored sebe i objasnio
01:59
for the pastprošlost fewnekoliko weekendsvikendom, he and some friendsprijatelji
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kako je zadnjih par vikenda,
on sa nekim prijateljima
02:02
had been going to a shootingpucanje rangeopseg on Long IslandOtok
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išao u streljanu na Long Ajlendu
02:04
for targetcilj practicepraksa.
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kako bi vježbao gađanje.
02:07
He told me I'd be going with him the nextsledeći morningjutro.
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Rekao mi je da ću
ići sa njim sljedeće jutro.
02:10
We arrivedstigao at CalvertonCalverton ShootingSnimanje RangeRaspon,
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Stigli smo u streljanu Kalverton,
02:12
whichšto unbeknownstbez nečijeg znanja to our groupgrupa was beingbiće watchedgledali
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koja je bila pod prismotrom FBI
02:15
by the FBIFBI-A.
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a da naša grupa to nije znala.
Kada je bio moj
red da pucam,
02:18
When it was my turnokrenite to shootpucaj,
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02:19
my fatherotac helpedpomogao me holddržite the riflepuška to my shoulderrame
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Otac mi je pomogao
da držim pušku na ramenu
i objasnio kako da ciljam u metu
02:21
and explainedobjašnjeno how to aimCilj at the targetcilj
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02:23
about 30 yardsdvorišta off.
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na oko 27 metara.
02:26
That day, the last bulletbullet I shotubijen
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Zadnji metak koji sam ispalio tog dana
02:28
hitudario the smallmali orangenarandžasto lightsvetlo that satsat on topvrh of the targetcilj
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pogodio je malo
narančasto svjetlo na vrhu mete
02:31
and to everyone'ssvima surpriseiznenađenje, especiallyposebno minemoj,
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i na iznenađenje svih, a posebno moje,
02:35
the entirecijeli targetcilj burstburst into flamesplamen.
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cijela meta je prsnula u plamenovima.
02:39
My unclestrica turnedokrenuo se to the other menmuškarci,
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Moj stric se okrenuo drugim ljudima,
02:40
and in Arabicarapski said, "IbnIbn abuhabuh."
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i rekao na arapskom "ibn abduh".
02:44
Like fatherotac, like sonsin.
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Kakav otac, takav sin.
02:47
They all seemedizgledalo je to get a really
bigveliki laughsmeh out of that commentkomentar,
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Svi su se dobro nasmijali tom komentaru,
02:50
but it wasn'tnije untildo a fewnekoliko yearsgodine laterkasnije
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ali tek nekoliko godina kasnije
02:52
that I fullypotpuno understoodrazumljiv what
they thought was so funnysmešno.
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potpuno sam razumio
šta im je bilo tako smiješno.
02:56
They thought they saw in me the sameisto destructionuništenje
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Mislili su da me vide u istom razaranju
02:58
my fatherotac was capablesposoban of.
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za koje je moj otac bio sposoban.
03:01
Those menmuškarci would eventuallyna kraju be convictedosuđeni
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Ti ljudi su na kraju osuđeni
03:04
of placingstavljanje a vanvan filledispunjen with
1,500 poundskilograma of explosiveseksploziva
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zbog kombija sa 680 kg eksploziva
ostavljenog
na parkingu sjevernoj tornja
Svjetskog trgovinskog centra
03:08
into the sub-levelpod-razina parkingparking lot of the
WorldSvijet TradeTrgovina Center'sCentar za NorthSjever TowerToranj,
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03:12
causingizazivajući an explosioneksplozija that killedubijen sixšest people
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uzrokujući eksploziju
koja je ubila šest ljudi
03:15
and injuredpovređeno over 1,000 othersdrugi.
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i povrijedila preko 1000 drugih.
03:18
These were the menmuškarci I lookedpogledao up to.
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To su bili ljudi na koje
sam gledao sa poštovanjem.
03:20
These were the menmuškarci I calledpozvana
ammuGorana, whichšto meansznači unclestrica.
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Te ljude sam zvao "ammu", što znači stric.
03:25
By the time I turnedokrenuo se 19,
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Do moje 19. godine
03:26
I had alreadyveć movedpreselio se 20 timesputa in my life,
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selio sam se već 20 puta,
03:30
and that instabilitynestabilnost duringtokom my childhooddetinjstvo
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i ta nestabilnost u mom djetinjstvu
03:32
didn't really providepružiti an opportunityprilika
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nije mi dala neku priliku
03:33
to make manymnogi friendsprijatelji.
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da se sprijateljim sa mnogo ljudi.
03:35
EachSvaki time I would beginzapočeti to feel
comfortableudobno around someoneneko,
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Svaki put kad se počnem
osjećati ugodno u nečijoj blizini,
03:38
it was time to packpaket up and movekretati se to the nextsledeći towngrad.
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bilo je vrijeme
pakovati se i seliti se u novi grad.
03:41
BeingBiće the perpetualtrajna newnovo facelice in classklasa,
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Kako sam bio uvijek novo lice u razredu,
03:44
I was frequentlyčesto the targetcilj of bulliesnasilnici.
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često sam bio meta siledžija.
03:46
I keptčuva my identityidentitet a secrettajna from my classmatessazvani
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Tajio sam svoj
identitet od ostalih učenika
03:48
to avoidizbjeći beingbiće targetedciljano,
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kako ne bih bio meta,
03:50
but as it turnsokreće se out, beingbiće the
quiettiho, chubbybucmast newnovo kidklinac in classklasa
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ali kako se pokazalo, biti tiho,
bucmasto novo dijete u razredu
03:53
was more than enoughdosta ammunitionStreljivo.
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bilo je više nego dovoljno.
03:56
So for the mostnajviše partdeo, I spentpotrošeno my time at home
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Tako sam uglavnom provodio vrijeme
03:58
readingčitanje booksknjige and watchinggleda TVTV
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čitajući knjige i gledajući TV
04:00
or playingigranje videovideo gamesigre.
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ili igrajući video igrice.
04:01
For those reasonsrazloge, my socialsocijalno skillsvještine were lackingnedostaje,
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Moje društvene
04:04
to say the leastnajmanje,
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se nisu razvile, u najmanju ruku,
i odrastajući u
bigotnom okruženju,
04:06
and growingraste up in a bigotednetrpeljiv householddomaćinstvo,
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04:08
I wasn'tnije preparedpripremljen for the realstvarno worldsvet.
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nisam bio spreman za stvarni život.
04:10
I'd been raisedpodignuta to judgesudija people
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Odgajan sam da sudim ljudima
04:12
basedbazirana on arbitraryproizvoljno measurementsmerenja,
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na osnovu proizvoljnih parametara,
04:14
like a person'sosoba racetrka or religionreligija.
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kao što je rasa ili religija.
04:18
So what openedotvorena my eyesoči?
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I šta mi je otvorilo oči?
04:21
One of my first experiencesiskustva
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Jedno od mojih prvih iskustava
koje je izazvalo preispitivanje
mog razmišljanja
04:23
that challengedizazov this way of thinkingrazmišljanje
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04:25
was duringtokom the 2000 presidentialPredsjednički electionsizbori.
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bilo je tokom predsjedničkih
izbora 2000. godine.
04:28
ThroughKroz a collegekoledž prepPriprema programprogram,
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Kroz program pripreme za koledž,
04:30
I was ablesposoban to take partdeo
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imao sam priliku učestvovati
04:31
in the NationalNacionalni YouthZa mlade ConventionKonvencije in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia.
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u Državnoj omladinskoj
konvenciji održanoj u Filadelfiji.
04:34
My particularposebno group'sgrupe focusfokus was on youthmladi violencenasilje,
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Fokus moje grupe bio je
na nasilju među mladima,
04:37
and havingimati been the victimžrtva
of bullyingnasilničko ponašanje for mostnajviše of my life,
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i s obzirom da sam
veći dio svog života bio žrtva siledžija,
04:40
this was a subjectpredmet in whichšto
I feltosećao se particularlynaročito passionatestrastveno.
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osjećao sam posebnu
strast prema ovoj temi.
04:44
The membersčlanovi of our groupgrupa camedošao
from manymnogi differentdrugačiji walksšetnje of life.
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Članovi naše grupe bili
su raznih zanimanja i profila.
04:48
One day towardka the endkraj of the conventionkonvencija,
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Dan prije završetka konvencije,
04:50
I foundpronađeno out that one of the kidsdeca I had befriendedSprijateljili
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saznao sam da je jedno
od djece sa kojima sam se sprijateljio
04:53
was JewishŽidovski.
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bio Jevrej.
04:55
Now, it had takenuzeti severalnekoliko daysdana
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Trebalo je nekoliko dana
04:57
for this detaildetalj to come to lightsvetlo,
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da se sazna ovaj detalj,
04:58
and I realizedrealizovan that there was no naturalprirodno animosityneprijateljstvo
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i shvatio sam da nije
bilo prirodnog neprijateljstva
05:02
betweenizmeđu the two of us.
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između nas.
05:04
I had never had a JewishŽidovski friendprijatelju before,
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Nisam nikad prije
imao prijatelja koji je Jevrej,
05:07
and franklyiskreno I feltosećao se a sensesmisao of prideponos
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i iskreno imao sam osjećaj ponosa
05:10
in havingimati been ablesposoban to overcomeprebroditi a barrierbarijera
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da sam sposoban prevazići barijeru
05:12
that for mostnajviše of my life I had been led to believe
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za koju sam veliki dio
života bio naveden da vjerujem
05:14
was insurmountablenepremostive.
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da je nepremostiva.
05:17
AnotherJoš jedan majormajor turningokretanje pointtačka camedošao when
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Druga velika prekretnica je bila
05:19
I foundpronađeno a summerleto jobposao at BuschBusch GardensVrtovi,
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kada sam našao ljetni
posao u Buš Vrtovima,
05:21
an amusementzabavni parkpark.
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zabavnom parku.
05:24
There, I was exposedizloženo to people
from all sortssorts of faithsvjera and cultureskultura,
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Tu sam bio izložen
ljudima svih religija i kultura,
05:27
and that experienceiskustvo proveddokazano to be fundamentalfundamentalni
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i to iskustvo se pokazalo fundamentalno
05:29
to the developmentrazvoj of my characterkarakter.
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za razvoj mog karaktera.
05:33
MostVećina of my life, I'd been taughtpredavao
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Cijelog života su me učili
05:34
that homosexualityhomoseksualnost was a singrijeh, and by extensionproduženje,
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da je homoseksualnost
grijeh, i u skladu s tim,
05:38
that all gaygej people were a negativenegativan influenceuticaj.
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svi homoseksualci su
predstavljali negativan uticaj.
05:41
As chancešansa would have it, I had the opportunityprilika
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Desilo se tako da sam imao priliku
da radim sa nekim od
izvođača koji su bili homoseksualci
05:44
to work with some of the gaygej performersizvođači
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05:45
at a showshow there,
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na jednoj izvedbi,
05:47
and soonuskoro foundpronađeno that manymnogi were the kindestsrdačan,
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i uskoro sam shvatio da
su mnogi najljubazniji,
05:49
leastnajmanje judgmentalosuđujuće people I had ever metispunjen.
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ljudi najmanje skloni
osudama koje sam ikad sreo.
S obzirom da sam kao dijete
bio maltretiran od strane siledžija
05:53
BeingBiće bulliedzlostavljano as a kidklinac
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05:55
createdstvoreno a sensesmisao of empathyempatija in me
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stvorio sam osjećaj empatije
05:58
towardka the sufferingpatnja of othersdrugi,
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prema patnji drugih,
05:59
and it comesdolazi very unnaturallyneprirodno to me
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i dođe mi vrlo prirodno
06:01
to treatliječiti people who are kindkind
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da se ponašam prema ljubaznim ljude
06:03
in any other way than how
I would want to be treatedtretirani.
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onako kako bih želio da
se ljudi ponašaju prema meni.
06:07
Because of that feelingosećanje, I was ablesposoban
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Zbog tog osjećaja, mogao sam
06:09
to contrastkontrast the stereotypesstereotipi I'd been taughtpredavao as a childdete
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suprotstaviti stereotipe
kojima su me učili kao dijete
06:14
with realstvarno life experienceiskustvo and interactioninterakcija.
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sa stvarnim životnim
iskustvom i interakcijom.
Ne znam kako je biti homoseksualac,
06:17
I don't know what it's like to be gaygej,
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ali dobro znam
kako je kada me osuđuju
06:19
but I'm well acquaintedupoznati with beingbiće judgedsudi
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06:21
for something that's beyondšire my controlkontrola.
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za nešto što je izvan moje kontrole.
06:25
Then there was "The DailyDnevne ShowPokaži."
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Zatim, tu je bio "Dnevni šou".
06:29
On a nightlynoćno basisosnova, JonJon StewartStewart forcedprisiljen me
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Svake noći, Džon Stjuart me natjerao
06:31
to be intellectuallyintelektualno honestiskren with
myselfja about my ownvlastiti bigotryfanatika
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da budem intelektualno iskren
prema sebi apropo svoje netrpeljivosti
06:35
and helpedpomogao me to realizeshvatiti that a person'sosoba racetrka,
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i pomogao mi je da shvatim da nečija rasa,
06:37
religionreligija or sexualseksualno orientationorijentacija
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religija ili seksualna orjentacija
06:40
had nothing to do with the qualitykvaliteta of one'sjedan je characterkarakter.
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nema ništa sa
kvalitetom njihova karaktera.
06:45
He was in manymnogi waysnačina a fatherotac figurefigura to me
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Na mnoge načine,
on je za mene bio očinska figura
06:48
when I was in desperateočajnički need of one.
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onda kad mi je očajno trebala.
06:51
InspirationInspiracija can oftenčesto come
from an unexpectedneočekivano placemesto,
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Inspiracija može često
doći iz neočekivanog mjesta,
06:55
and the factčinjenica that a JewishŽidovski comediankomičar had donezavršeno more
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i činjenica da je jedan
Jevrej komičar uradio više
06:58
to positivelypozitivno influenceuticaj my worldviewpogled na svet
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da pozitivno utiče na moj pogled na život
07:00
than my ownvlastiti extremistekstremista fatherotac
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od mog oca ekstremiste
07:02
is not lostizgubljeno on me.
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nije mi promakla.
Jednog dana,
razgovarao sam sa mojom majkom
07:05
One day, I had a conversationrazgovor with my mothermajka
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2160
07:07
about how my worldviewpogled na svet was startingpočinjati to changepromjena,
155
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2170
o tome kako se moj
pogled na svijet počeo mijenjati,
07:10
and she said something to me
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i ona mi je rekla nešto
07:12
that I will holddržite deardraga to my heartsrce
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što će mom srcu biti drago
07:14
for as long as I liveuživo.
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dok sam živ.
Pogledala me
svojim umornim očima
07:17
She lookedpogledao at me with the wearyumorne eyesoči
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1471
07:19
of someoneneko who had experiencediskusan
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očima nekoga ko je iskusio
07:20
enoughdosta dogmatismdogmatizam to last a lifetimeživotni vek, and said,
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dovoljno dogmatizma
za cijeli život, i rekla,
07:24
"I'm tiredumoran of hatingmrziti people."
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"Umorna sam od toga da mrzim ljude."
07:28
In that instantinstant, I realizedrealizovan how much negativenegativan energyenergija
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U tom momentu,
shvatio sam koliko negativne energije
07:31
it takes to holddržite that hatredmržnja insideunutra of you.
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treba da držite toliku mržnju u sebi.
07:36
ZakZak EbrahimAndrija is not my realstvarno nameime.
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Zak Ebrahim nije moje pravo ime.
07:39
I changedpromijenjeno it when my familyporodica decidedodlučio
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Promijenio sam ga kad je moja porodica odlučila
07:41
to endkraj our connectionveza with my fatherotac
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da okonča vezu sa mojim ocem
07:42
and startpočnite a newnovo life.
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i počne novi život.
07:45
So why would I out myselfja
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Zašto onda da se izlažem
07:47
and potentiallypotencijalno put myselfja in dangeropasnost?
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i potencijalno stavljam u opasnost?
07:50
Well, that's simplejednostavno.
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Jednostavno je.
07:52
I do it in the hopesnada that perhapsmožda someoneneko somedayjednog dana
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Radim to u nadi da će
možda neko jednog dana
07:56
who is compelledprisiljeno to use violencenasilje
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ko se osjeća
prisiljenim da koristi nasilje
07:58
maymože hearčuti my storypriča and realizeshvatiti
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čuti moju priču i shvatiti
08:00
that there is a better way,
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da postoji bolji put,
08:03
that althoughiako I had been subjectedpodložan
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da iako sam bio podvrgnut
08:04
to this violentnasilan, intolerantnetolerantan ideologyideologija,
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toj nasilnoj, netolerantnoj ideologiji,
08:07
that I did not becomepostati fanaticizedfanaticized.
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nisam postao fanatičan.
08:10
InsteadUmjesto toga, I chooseizaberite to use my experienceiskustvo
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Umjesto toga izabrao sam svoje iskustvo
08:12
to fightborba back againstprotiv terrorismterorizam,
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da se borim protiv terorizma,
08:15
againstprotiv the bigotryfanatika.
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protiv netrpeljivosti.
08:19
I do it for the victimsžrtve of terrorismterorizam
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Radim to za žrtve terorizma
08:22
and theirnjihova lovedvoleo onesone,
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i njihove najbliže,
08:24
for the terriblestrašno painbol and lossgubitak
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za užasan bol i gubitak
08:26
that terrorismterorizam has forcedprisiljen uponna theirnjihova livesživi.
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koje im je terorizam uzrokovao.
08:29
For the victimsžrtve of terrorismterorizam, I will speakgovori out
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Govorit ću glasno, za žrtve terorizma
08:31
againstprotiv these senselessbesmislen actsdjeluje
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protiv svih bemislenih djela
08:34
and condemnosuđuju my father'sotac actionsakcije.
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3994
i osuditi djela moga oca.
08:38
And with that simplejednostavno factčinjenica, I standštand here as proofdokaz
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I sa tom činjenicom,
stojim ovdje kao dokaz
08:41
that violencenasilje isn't inherentinherentno in one'sjedan je religionreligija or racetrka,
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da nasilje nije ukorijenjeno
ni u jednoj religiji ili rasi,
08:45
and the sonsin does not have to followpratiti
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i da sin ne mora slijediti
08:48
the waysnačina of his fatherotac.
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svoga oca.
08:51
I am not my fatherotac.
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Ja nisam moj otac.
08:54
Thank you. (ApplausePljesak)
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Hvala vam.
08:57
Thank you, everybodysvi. (ApplausePljesak)
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Hvala vam, svima.
09:01
Thank you all. (ApplausePljesak)
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Hvala vam svima.
09:03
ThanksHvala a lot. (ApplausePljesak)
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4000
Hvala puno.
Translated by Bel Cabar
Reviewed by Adisa Ejubovic

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zak Ebrahim - Peace activist
Groomed for terror, Zak Ebrahim chose a different life. The author of The Terrorist's Son, he hopes his story will inspire others to reject a path of violence.

Why you should listen

When Zak Ebrahim was seven, his family went on the run. His father, El Sayyid Nosair, had hoped Zak would follow in his footsteps -- and become a jihadist. Instead, Zak was at the beginning of a long journey to comprehend his past.

Zak Ebrahim kept his family history a secret as they moved through a long succession of towns. In 2010, he realized his experience as a terrorist’s son not only gave him a unique perspective, but also a unique chance to show that if he could escape a violent heritage, anyone could. As he told Truthdig.com, “We must embrace tolerance and nonviolence. Who knows this better than the son of a terrorist?”

In 2014 Ebrahim published the TED Book The Terrorist's Son, a memoir written with Jeff Giles about the path he took to turn away from hate. In early 2015 the book won an American Library Association Alex award.

More profile about the speaker
Zak Ebrahim | Speaker | TED.com