Zak Ebrahim: I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace.
زاك إبراهيم: أنا ابن إرهابي. إليكم كيف اخترت السلام.
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.
and grade school teacher,
كانت معلمة في الصف الإبتدائي،
كل الوسائل الضرورية
كان وبعض من أصدقائه
خاصة بالنسبة لي،
big laugh out of that comment,
على هذا التعليق،
they thought was so funny.
أنه طريف في الأمر.
1,500 pounds of explosives
ب 1500 باوند من المتفجرات
World Trade Center's North Tower,
للبرج الشمالي لمركز التجارة العالمي،
ammu, which means uncle.
comfortable around someone,
لننتقل للمدينة التالية.
quiet, chubby new kid in class
والسمين الجديد في القسم
أفتقر للمهارات الاجتماعية،
of bullying for most of my life,
I felt particularly passionate.
from many different walks of life.
from all sorts of faiths and cultures,
من مختلف المعتقدات والثقافات،
كانوا من ألطف،
I would want to be treated.
myself about my own bigotry
بخصوص تعصبي
يشكل شخصية الأب بالنسبة لي
from an unexpected place,
هناك شخص ما يوما ما
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zak Ebrahim - Peace activistGroomed 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.
Zak Ebrahim | Speaker | TED.com