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Zak Ebrahim
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The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice (TED Books) Kindle Edition

by Zak Ebrahim (Author), Jeff Giles (Contributor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 770 ratings
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An extraordinary story, never before told: The intimate, behind-the-scenes life of an American boy raised by his terrorist father—the man who planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

What is it like to grow up with a terrorist in your home? Zak Ebrahim was only seven years old when, on November 5th, 1990, his father El-Sayyid Nosair shot and killed the leader of the Jewish Defense League. While in prison, Nosair helped plan the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. In one of his infamous video messages, Osama bin Laden urged the world to “Remember El-Sayyid Nosair.”

For Zak Ebrahim, a childhood amongst terrorism was all he knew. After his father’s incarceration, his family moved often, and as the perpetual new kid in class, he faced constant teasing and exclusion. Yet, though his radicalized father and uncles modeled fanatical beliefs, to Ebrahim something never felt right. To the shy, awkward boy, something about the hateful feelings just felt unnatural.

In this book, Ebrahim dispels the myth that terrorism is a foregone conclusion for people trained to hate. Based on his own remarkable journey, he shows that hate is always a choice—but so is tolerance. Though Ebrahim was subjected to a violent, intolerant ideology throughout his childhood, he did not become radicalized. Ebrahim argues that people conditioned to be terrorists are actually well positioned to combat terrorism, because of their ability to bring seemingly incompatible ideologies together in conversation and advocate in the fight for peace. Ebrahim argues that everyone, regardless of their upbringing or circumstances, can learn to tap into their inherent empathy and embrace tolerance over hatred. His original, urgent message is fresh, groundbreaking, and essential to the current discussion about terrorism.
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  1. Part of series
    TED
  2. Print length
    113 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster/ TED
  6. Publication date
    September 9, 2014
  7. File size
    5310 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ebrahim’s life is an eloquent plea to terrorists — indeed, to anyone who commits violence out of bigotry and hatred — to stop and consider the impact on children. His tale speaks to the suffering of children everywhere — in Gaza, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria — who are caught up in the raging intolerance of adults. In emotional detail, the terrorist’s son takes us through the traumas of his life — school bullying, social withdrawal, feelings of suicidal worthlessness — that dogged him from the moment his mother awakened the boy in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas to inform him that something was horribly wrong and they had to flee immediately from their home in Cliffside Park, N.J." (Washington Post)

"[A] book you can't put down. Hearing the story of Zak Ebrahim—the son of El-Sayyid Nosair who, when Ebrahim was just 7 years old, killed the leader of the Jewish Defense League and went on to plan the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center from prison—is one thing. (A gut-wrenching, how-is-this-real-life? thing.) Reading it in intimate, terrifying detail—the confusion, the bullying, the burden—is another. (An even more gut-wrenching, how-is-this-real-life? thing.) The Terrorist's Son... tells a detailed account of Ebrahim's story, shared at a TED talk, of his impossibly brutal childhood and adolescence and how he became nothing like his dad." (GQ)

"In his powerful, affecting memoir (written with former EW deputy editor Jeff Giles), he says, ''My father lost his way — but that didn't stop me from finding mine.'' (Entertainment Weekly)

"The author's father helped plan the 1993 Wold Trade Center bombing. Instead of following in those violent footsteps, Ebrahim now speaks out against terrorism. An astonishing memoir." (People)

"The inspiring story of a peace advocate who was raised in the dogma of hate but chose a different path....Ebrahim turns Auden's cautionary words on evil upside down with this brief but moving "portrait of a young man who was raised in the fires of fanaticism and embraced nonviolence instead." (Kirkus)

About the Author

Zak Ebrahim was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 24, 1983, the son of an Egyptian industrial engineer and an American school teacher. When Ebrahim was seven, his father shot and killed the founder of the Jewish Defense League, Rabbi Meir Kahane. From behind bars his father, El-Sayyid Nosair, co-masterminded the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Ebrahim spent the rest of his childhood moving from city to city, hiding his identity from those who knew of his father. He now dedicates his life to speaking out against terrorism and spreading his message of peace and nonviolence.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00KE4ITAK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster/ TED (September 9, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 9, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5310 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 113 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 770 ratings

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Zak Ebrahim

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
770 global ratings
Great book. Cover not the same...
4 Stars
Great book. Cover not the same...
This was actually a really good book. I liked it a lot. I was required to buy this for one of my classes in College (I'm a freshman), not an English class though lol, and then when we got to college we had a big discussion about it. I'm not usually fond of books that are ASSIGNED to me to read, but this is now on my list of books from Assigned Readings that I actually enjoyed and would probably read again. I've just been writing a slew of reviews for things I hadn't reviewed when I got them, so I don't really remember all the details regarding the content of this book (seeing as I read it 4 months ago).I took off one star because the book sent to me didn't have this cover, and I specifically got this book (as in from this seller and what not) because I wanted one with this black and red cover. The one that was sent to me (it was late getting here too) was the Yellow cover with somewhat reflective angled angles across the front continuing to the back, and that was the one I DIDN'T want to get (I saw other sellers have a picture of the Yellow cover, and I deliberately didn't pick those). Oh well, a book is a book, lol. I love reading, and I read A LOT, so I didn't let it bother me too much. (Here are the pictures of the cover I'm talking about that I got, but didn't want to get)
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Top reviews from the United States

Rachel Steadman
5.0 out of 5 stars Step out of your circle and choose PEACE!
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
I just finished reading this book and after laying it down, (it was hard to let go, literally) I'm so filled with emotion that I feel numb and like I'm floating. I don't feel I have the right words to even explain how I feel about what I just read. It's like all the appropriate words have been used up (amazing, brave, incredible, heart wrenching, inspirational...) and wouldn't give it justice. To even get a glimpse of what Zac's life was like was almost too much. I love how well he was able to let you feel and see his perspective as a child. A "normal" little boy liking "normal" little boy things. And just craving a "normal" loving family. It's easily relatable as we have all been children and understand those basic needs. What's scary about reading this, is that all those horrific events (described in the book) affected children who had no control over the path their lives started out on. (Also realizing this is only one family. There are many, many more in similar situations) As children, we learn what we are taught from within the circle created for us. It is not until we are old enough to have the ability to step out of that circle and really open our eyes to the worldly view around us. Out side that circle is where we become responsible for our choices. If ZAK could step out of HIS circle and CHOOSE empathy and peace than we all have it in us to do the same!!! If everyone would read this book, I think (no, I KNOW) the world, people as a whole, and as individuals, could and WOULD change for the better becoming more empathic, and view peace as a way of life, NOT just some ideological belief! This book provides all of us an opportunity to step outside our circle! It's just up to us to make the right choice!
24 people found this helpful
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Jilly Bean
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
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Must read!
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Asad Koraganie
4.0 out of 5 stars The American society as wonderful as it is
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2014
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The American society as wonderful as it is, can be frustratingly aloof and detached from the world. The common joke in Europe about Americans is that they are loud, they are carefree and they have a sense of entitlement. It is the same at home.
As an immigrant myself, I have faced prejudice, discrimination and downright animosity. But I have stood up and never given an inch to bigotry and prejudice. Nosair, probably faced the same hurdles in his life, but he chose the easy way out. He chose reverse immigration, back to the life he had left behind. Instead of proving that he was as good as or better than the detractors, he chose to take refuge amongst the low self-esteem, less educated radical anti-American Muslims.
Islam, if not politicized, is as good or as bad as any other religion. Unlike the popular belief, Islam is not inherently belligerent. Islam is nothing more than a set of old, outdated beliefs as are Christianity and Judaism with the expiration date long past. But politicized Islam combined with the overall low levels of education in the Islamic world is something any sane person should be afraid of. And Nosair fell in this trap, or may be, he never left the trap.
The book, although a tale of a child’s journey to manhood, makes a very interesting reading for new immigrants and the traps they encounter along the way. It shows the devastation of a family that was sacrificed at the altar of an ideology of hate. A hate that is strengthened by the ignorance and lack of adequate education in the Islamic world and a mismanagement of resources and policies by the Western world. Any ideology is confining, but those with the upside down roots in the sky are the worse kind. Politicized Islam, Hindu Nationalism, Aggressive Zionism and others of this religiously inspired are the enemies of civilized world. Nosair chose to willingly take that bondage and sacrifice his family for what he thought was a higher calling.
At the moment, we happened to be facing the Islamic ideology of hate; and we think we can bomb this enemy away. We, in the US, find it easier to build more prisons to keep criminals in, rather than building more schools to prevent the making of those criminals from the start. We do the same in our foreign policy, we spend billions, even trillions, punishing those fighting against us, but refrain from adequately support modern education and addressing their, mostly legitimate, grievances before they become radicalized and take up arm against us. Lobbies run our government, commerce run our media and shapes our knowledge and understanding of the world. Therefore we are the most detached, uninterested, aloof and to a large extend ignorant nation on the face of the earth. When Johnny Cash said: “Country music is loved all over the world and Canada too!” he spoke for all of us who see the world as the United States of America only.
16 people found this helpful
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D. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2014
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I found this a well-written account of a man who was the son of a terrorist and who, despite all the teachings of hatred told to him, chose to see through the bigotry and life a more humane life. It is a witness to how, no matter what religious tradition we may find helpful and choose to follow, it is our responsibility to be critical of it and not let it direct us away from the true responsibility of living a life of understanding, tolerance, compassion, wisdom, and loving kindness--which all major religions are supposed to help us live. It also shows the terrible toll that choosing to live a life of hatred and violence does to the family of those who follow that path and its consequences. I would highly recommend it. It was inspiring to read this story because even though Mr. Ebrahim suffered a lot from the actions of his terrorist father--the worse maybe being the realization that his father loved hating and doing violence to others more than loving him--he still came through it all with a kind heart choosing not to follow bigotry and hatred.
4 people found this helpful
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Trekkergram
3.0 out of 5 stars Good discussion-starter
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2014
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This man's life is inspiring, but the essay is a little thin. Admittedly, it is very short and originally a speech rather than an in-depth study, and I think it could be a good discussion-starter for teens.
One person found this helpful
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Downbeats13
5.0 out of 5 stars Very powerful. Very good read
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015
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I was given this book as a summer reading book for my freshman year of college. It was a common reading that all incoming freshmen had to read. This book was a very powerful book on the story of a man who's father was involved in multiple terrorist attacks in the United States. It shows how one man, who was a pretty good individual in society, can be turned around and use religion as a weapon or means to kill people who are different. This man's son, whom was taught by this religious extremist, uses his father as a means to break away from his fathers ways. The stories told in first-person make me feel like I am truly getting to know this man, and experience a touch of his own struggles. This book, only being around 100 pages, is a very easy read, and I recommend it to every person of all faiths and beliefs.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Rosi Sales
5.0 out of 5 stars The Terrorist Son
Reviewed in Brazil on June 14, 2023
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Muito bom livro. Bom saber como um filho pode reagir ao desconfiar, e no final saber que seu pai foi um terrorista famoso.Nem sempre os filhos copiam os pais. Ainda bem!
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Adrián Arenales
5.0 out of 5 stars Lectura obligatoria
Reviewed in Spain on August 25, 2016
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Lo compré hace tiempo y no me había dignado todavía a hacer una valoración. En los tiempos que corre, creo que todos deberíamos leer este libro. Es realmente bonito y transmite un mensaje esperanzador. Además, es una lectura ligera; en apenas dos días te lo puedes leer sin ningún tipo de problema y, si eres lector habitual, en una tarde.
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Kaemoriah
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every dollar!
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2014
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Probably the best $12 I ever spent on a book - despite it only taking me about 2 hours to read. I couldn't put it down! It was clever, moving, inspirational and quite surprising! Zak Ebrahim is a wonderful writer and a wonderful speaker and I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a quick read but well worth the experience.

And Zak, if you ever come here to read the comments, you should totally try and meet with Jon Stewart if you get the chance! I'm sure he would help promote your book and I'm sure he's way cooler in real life! Thank you again for your courage and your wonderful little book.
One person found this helpful
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SUKALPA MONDAL
5.0 out of 5 stars perfect example of the cycle of victim hood and oppression ...
Reviewed in India on January 12, 2016
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Honestly such a breath of fresh air regarding a topic that has been so less explored...he narrated his journey along with his family with such a keen sense of observation..I feel sorry for his mother..perfect example of the cycle of victim hood and oppression and his bold decision to become atheist and having faith in humanity and understanding religion sometimes divide people and it makes some people blind...
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Michellefrance
5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking read
Reviewed in France on February 18, 2015
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A fascinating and most thought-provoking read. If you have ever wondered what could cause people to become radicalized, this well-written book will answer your questions.
One person found this helpful
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