Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

Number of replies: 15

Here is the link to 10 powerful TEDx talks on Terrorism. Select and watch one of them. Then, share your impressions, feedback, and comments in the Forum below. Indicate the video you watched. Feel free to watch more than one and comment peers' comments. 


Deadline: 11 September, 23.59 PM.

In reply to First post

Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Anel Askarova -
Hi everyone!

For this assignment, I decided to watch Zak Ebrahim’s talk titled "I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace."

Honestly, this video gave me goosebumps. Zak shares his real-life story: his father was one of the people who planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York. When you grow up in an extremist family, it feels like your path is already set for you you're basically taught from childhood to hate other people just because they're different.
What struck me the most was how Zak managed to break this cycle of hate. He explains how, as he grew up, he started interacting with people from different cultures and religions the very people he was taught to hate. He realized they were just normal, kind people who didn't want to hurt anyone.
The main takeaway for me was that "no one is born with hate in their heart". It’s learned. And if it can be learned, it means a person can always make their own choice to walk away from bitterness, no matter who their parents were or how tough their upbringing was.
It’s a really hopeful and inspiring video, despite dealing with such a heavy topic. I definitely recommend watching it if you haven't picked a talk yet! It's easy to follow and very engaging.


I decided to watch another video from the playlist, and it completely changed my perspective on how law enforcement operates. It's a talk by journalist Trevor Aaronson titled "How this FBI strategy is actually creating US-based terrorists."

To be honest, it sounds like a movie plot, but it's real life. Trevor conducted a huge investigation and explained that after 9/11, the FBI recruited thousands of informants. Instead of going after actual, dangerous, organized criminals, they often target vulnerable, confused people who have no money or connections.
The most shocking part is that undercover agents often come up with the plan themselves, plant ideas in these people's heads, and even supply fake explosives or weapons. Once the person agrees to participate under pressure or manipulation, they get arrested immediately. Then, the news proudly reports that the FBI saved the city from a major threat.
The key question the speaker asks is "would these people have ever committed a crime if they weren't given everything they needed and pushed to do it?" Trevor argues that in many cases, definitely not. It turns out the authorities weren't catching existing terrorists they were practically "creating" them to show good results.
It's a powerful talk that really makes you look at the news differently. Highly recommended!
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Aliza Runia -
Hi, I chose to watch "The link between unemployment and terrorism" for this assignment.

Before watching this TED Talk, it had not crossed my mind that all terrorists were also just kids at some point. This may seem obvious, but to go from an innocent child, naïve about the harm in the world, to blowing themselves and other people up, is a huge step. Mohamed Ali, the speaker, explains the filling of this gap by waithood. Waiting for a goal, a purpose in life to fulfil. When there's a big space of nothingness in your life, wouldn't you also be tempted to seize an opportunity in the palm of your hand? Either good or bad.
He later throws in his opinion and solution on how to prevent young people from taking this self-destructive path in life. He suggests "turn youth into entrepreneurs." With this statement I partly agree. Absolutely, it is of importance to stimulate the youth into becoming more than merely a body walking this earth. However, there's only so many businesses that can be created and made profitable by a city it's inhabitants. Do not only stimulate the youth to become entrepreneurs, stimulate existing companies, start-ups and wealthy folks to expand, hire and create opportunities for the young. Solving waithood is not solely the accountability of the young.
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Dana Zhamalbek -
Hey. I watched a TED Talk called "The link between unemployment and terrorism" by Mohammed Ali, and it made me think about Somalia in a way that I had not really thought before. When I think about Somalia, I usually associate it with issues such as female genital mutilation and child marriage. However, while watching the talk, I realized that terrorism too, is a great problem in this country. I also started thinking that many of these problems cannot simply be explained by “culture” of that region, rather, a lot of them are connected to extremely poor governance, poverty, lack of education, and the absence of opportunities for young people. What really stayed with me while watching this TedTalk was the idea of waithood, being young and ambitious but having no realistic way to move forward. Since my teenage years, I have been involved in non-profits, charities, and different projects focused on creating opportunities for children and young people in Kazakhstan, so this part of the talk felt especially personal to me. It also immediately made me think about the youth of Kazakhstan. Although Kazakhstan is obviously very different from Somalia, I think we should still pay attention to some of the similar patterns. With inflation and the cost of living increasing in our country, poverty and financial pressure can become much bigger problems, while young people already struggle to find jobs even after graduating from university. In Kazakhstan, opportunities are not always equally accessible and can often depend on privilege and connections. When a young person constantly feels that there is no place for them in the future they imagined, frustration can eventually turn into anger or a desire to find belonging somewhere else. This made me realize that terrorism does not simply appear out of nowhere, and in some cases, it can be the result of many socio-economic problems increasing over time. I majorly do not think that Kazakhstan is anywhere close to the situation discussed in the TED Talk but the possibility that similar frustrations could eventually contribute to radicalization in our society is honestly quite scary. For me, the most important message of the talk was that creating opportunities for young people is not only about economic development, but also about preventing much bigger social problems in the future.
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Nushini Nazarzoda -
Hello,
I watched the TED talk titled "When people of Muslim heritage challenge fundamentalism" by Karina Bennoune. The talk has been insightful because it sheds light on the often overlooked group victims of Islamic fundamentalism- Muslims themselves. The speaker is the daughter of an Algerian scholar who was targeted by radical groups in Algeria. Thankfully, unlike many others, he was not killed, which inspired Karina to embark on the journey of interviewing 300 people of muslim heritage from 30 different countries. She found that an overwhelming majority of Muslims were strongly against such Islamic fundamentalist groups. Though this might seem obvious for some, but we have to realize that the rise of anti- Muslim propaganda, especially on the right, has almost made Islam synonymous with extremism. I think what I ultimately took from this video is the message that the people who are fighting with Islamic fundamentalism on the front lines( by advocacy such as for the rights of women in Afghanistan) are dedicated Muslims themselves, so there is nothing inherent in the religion that somehow creates extremism. Unfortunately, it is merely a tool of manipulation for achieving political goals.
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Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Adina Zholdybekova -

Hello everyone, I chose to watch the TED Talk “I Am the Son of a Terrorist. Here’s How I Chose Peace” by Zak Ebrahim.

 I did not take long to choose it, because as soon as I saw the words “son of a terrorist” in the title, it immediately caught my attention. I expected it to be a story about how a child started to hate his father or even almost became like him. But when I started watching the video, I was very surprised by the story itself and by what the author wanted to say through it.

His life situation and the way he described his experience of being the son of a terrorist really impressed me, and I can even say that, to some extent, it motivated me. It showed me that we should not look at life from only one perspective, but that we need to be open and expand our worldview and our views on life.

Zak raises topics such as stereotypes and life lessons that come from family. Because of the way he was raised and the views on life that he was taught, he explains what kind of problems he faced in his life. His father had literally already decided that he would follow in his footsteps and become a terrorist. The phrase his father said, “Ibn Abu” (after Zak hit the target), literally translates as “Like father, like son.” But why should he be like his father? Why can’t he become an individual person who is not defined by the role of his parent?

I also really liked that Zak started to understand this as he grew older. He realized that people should not be judged by their race, nationality, or religion, because we are all human beings and we all have a place on this earth. When he approached his mother and told her about his new view of the world, she answered him, “I am tired of hating people.” This really shows how much parents can influence a person’s life.

The most important thing is to understand that not everything has to be the way our parents present it to us. We also have to find our own way and make our own choice for our world and our peace, just as Zak did.This video is very inspiring and has a very deep meaning. It is not only about terrorism, but also about humanity, human feelings, and peace on earth. Literally, watching this 10-minute video can change something, even just a little, in the way people think. Bravo!


In reply to First post

Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Mirrlees Chassels -
Hi. I decided to watch "I am the son of a terrorist" by Zak Ebrahim.

Zak Ebrahim is the son of El-Sayyid Nosair, an Egyptian terrorist who was involved in the 1993 New York City landmark bomb plot and the assassination of Meir Kahane a Rabbi. Zak Ebrahim discusses his childhood growing up in an environment where other religious and ethnic groups were seen as hostile. Zak Ebrahim discusses how he was able to break away from this hateful mindset. Ebrahim during the National Youth Convention for the 2000 US Presidential Election, made friends with a Jewish person. Despite Zak Ebrahim being taught by his father that Judaism was an evil religious group, he found that he had no natural animosity towards this person. Going to show that the hateful ideology that is taught by terrorists and extremists is not natural and that it is the radicalisation of a person that results in terrorism. As Zak got older he began to understand the radicalisation and hateful ideologies that his father pushed. Zak mentions how he would watch Jon Stewart, a Jewish comedian on the satirical "The Daily Show", and began to see him as more of a father figure than his own father. This is despite the fact that Jon Stewart is Jewish, and yet Zak was taught to hate Jewish people.
In reply to First post

Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Shakira Ilyanova -
"How this FBI strategy is actually creating US-based terrorists"
Trevor Aaronson discussed a troubling topic that could resemble a conspiracy theory. He provided real examples of how the FBI itself creates "terrorists" and adds to the statistics of successful cases and punished victims. Before the events of September 11, the FBI was engaged in internal investigations and punishing common criminals, creating an image of a heroic organization for itself. But after the large-scale tragedy, they changed their focus and created a "Hollywood story" for the new security threat-terrorists.

The speaker mentions informants who work for the FBI and provide information on spying on citizens, most often Muslims, for a hefty sum.
Aaronson elaborated on the case of Sami Oswack, a mentally ill and vulnerable person, who was meticulously set up for an attack on an Irish bar. The informant under the auspices provided him with money, equipped him with weapons, filmed the so-called martyr's video address, and promised a beautiful ending, which turned into 40 years in prison for him.
Sami was not the only one, but one of 175 people who were created for public punishment.
Thus, the FBI, as I think, is trying to create an artificial threat and manage people's fears (which is also what terrorists do-create terror).
Innocent and mentally ill people, who struggle for every penny, become vulnerable to 15 thousand informants, former rapists, and murderers. They are guilty because of their name, appearance, religion. For the audience, it's a heroic spectacle, but for them, it's a tragedy of life.
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Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Marlen Tulegenov -

Hello everyone 

TED Talk: Jason McCue – “Terrorism is a Failed Brand”


I watched Jason McCue’s TED Talk, “Terrorism is a Failed Brand.” I found the talk interesting because it presents terrorism from a different perspective. Instead of focusing only on violence and security measures, McCue explains how terrorist organizations attract and recruit people by creating an appealing image and a sense of purpose.One of the main ideas I found interesting is that terrorism can be understood as a kind of “brand.” Terrorist groups try to sell an ideology to potential recruits, and therefore fighting terrorism should also involve challenging this ideology and making it less attractive.I agree with the speaker that military and security measures alone cannot completely solve the problem of terrorism. Governments should also address the reasons why people become vulnerable to extremist propaganda, such as social exclusion, lack of opportunities, or the search for identity and belonging.


In general, we need to show that the ideology of terrorism is not effective and show people the ideology that will be really useful

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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Kamilla Muratbekova -
Hi everyone!

I have decided to watch Karima Bennoune's speech on "When people of Muslim heritage challenge fundamentalism".

In this speech Karima Bennuone gave us a definition of the Islamic fundamentalism and how its supporters violates rights of other people, even Muslims themselves. And to give us an examples of those oppressed Muslims by terrorists, the speaker conducted a huge investigation reflected in her book called "Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here".
I was deeply touched by her speech and stories she have told us about noncombatants, civilians who fight against the system that Muslim fundamentalists (and even government) have established in such countries like Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and others. Her investigation included stories of 300 people from 30 states. Those people wish to protect their rights, and they do that in very different ways like staging a musical despite the threat of a terrorist attack, fighting for women rights in intolerant and aggressive environment, and just pursuing an education even though they are risking their lives for this.
I believe that this speech gives us an important perspective on the Muslim world that we should discuss more, especially in an era of growing anti-Muslim prejudice and fundamentalism, which create ideas and stereotypes that can justify violence against people. As the speaker emphasized, Islamic fundamentalism is an ideology that is used to control and manipulate others. Therefore, it necessary to distinguish the victims and followers of this ideology.

I would like to finish my comment with the victims right advocate Cherifa Kheddar's quote: "It is not enough just to battle terrorism; we must challenge fundamentalism, because fundamentalism is an ideology that makes the bed of this terrorism".
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Heesung Kim -
Dear all,

I have decided to watch Jason McCue's "Terrorism is a failed brand". I found his TEDx talk interesting because it challenges the traditional understanding of counterterrorism. Usually, terrorism is discussed mainly in terms of military operations, intelligence, and security. He, however, presents a different perspective by describing terrorism as a brand that depends on public support and perception, just like pepsi or coca cola.
What impressed me most was the idea that simply killing or arresting terrorists may not eliminate terrorism itself. If the underlying grievances, ideological narrative, and social conditions remain, new individuals may replace those who have been removed. Thus, his argument that we should also undermine the appeal of terrorism seems convincing. It also reminded me of the collapse of KKK in Atlanta in 1946, by "branding" KKK as childish immature group with guns and knives via media.
I also find his emphasis on victims of terrorism interesting as well. Terrorist groups often try to justify violence through political or ideological narratives, but the voices and experiences of victims can expose the real human consequences of terrorism to bigger public.
However, I believe that the idea of "terrorism as a brand" got limitations. I think terrorism is much more complex than a commercial product. People may become involved in terrorism for very different reasons, such as ideology, nationalism, religion, political repression, social networks, or any other personal background a person was raised. Therefore, there may not be one universal solution for rebranding terrorism. Therefore, I believe his example of piracy and fishermen cannot be simply considered.
In general, I think the video provides a light-hearted, but thought-stirring perspective. It simply portrays that counterterrorism should concentrate not only on physically eradicating terrorist organisations but also reducing their appeal, legitimacy, or ability to recruit. As aforementioned, I believe there cannot be one single universal solution to terrorism, but I also do agree that his idea could be combined with current security measures, and efforts to challenge extremist narratives. PS: I do not believe Islamic fundamentalists would be easily weakened by sole media manipulation, or rebranding.
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Saida Temirbolatova -
Hey. I decided to watch a TED talk " When people of Muslim heritage challenge fundamentalism" by Karima Bennoune.
Never have I ever in my life would have thought that just a regular broken watch stopped at 5:17 would make me feel very emotional and make me think about the things I rarely did before.
After watching this video, it made me realize even more that the victims and targets of islamist fundamentalists are the muslims themselves. The topic of religion has always been interesting for me in essence of how a thing that scientifically has not been proved or be justified can lead so many people after itself. This ted talk made me think that even the purest thing in the world can be weaponized and lead terror on innocent lives. Also, the power manipulation is insane. How people translate their own beliefs, aims and goals and they honestly believe they are doing a great work.
I believe this topic is not being discussed enough. Western people often tend to see islam not as a religion but a terrorist and aggressive movement and they automatically think that any muslim person is a terrorist. While at the same time forgetting that many Muslims themselves are the first people who suffer from this violence.
I think this creates another problem because it puts ordinary Muslims in the position where they have to constantly prove that they are not connected to extremists. What also stayed with me is the idea that silence can become a form of power for extremists. If moderate or secular Muslims are not given enough space to speak about their experiences, then the loudest and most radical voices start representing an entire religion and its people. And I think this is especially dangerous because religion itself is not necessarily the problem. The problem starts when someone takes an ideology, interprets it in a certain way, and uses it to justify violence, control, or political goals
I also started thinking about this through my own experience when I was planning to travel to Qatar. Before going for the first time to a Muslim community, I found myself thinking more about what it actually means to enter a Muslim-majority country, and how different that can be from the image of Muslim countries that is sometimes created through discussions of terrorism and extremism. For me, Qatar was not associated with fear or extremism, but with a completely different culture, people, traditions and everyday life that I was genuinely curious to experience. This made me understand even more why it is important to separate Islam as a religion and Muslim societies from political extremism and terrorism. One should not define millions of ordinary people by the actions of a small group that claims to act in the name of religion.
Overall, this TED talk made me think more critically about the relationship between religion, ideology, power and terrorism. It also reminded me that we should be careful not to generalize an entire religion because of the actions of people who use it as a justification for their own political or violent purposes. I think sometimes we understand terrorism too much through the people who commit it and not enough through the people who have to live with its consequences.
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Islam Berlikozha -
The core argument of Benedetta Berti in her “The surprising way groups like ISIS stay in power” speech is that terrorist groups maintain legitimacy and sustainability through the vacuum of power and socio-economic needs. Her example was the Iran funded proxy called Hezbollah (designated terrorist organization responsible for many terrorist attacks), which parasites on the state of Lebanon, which institutions fail to provide for its people with basic economic needs, especially in the Shia dominated south, which now de-facto controls the south of Lebanon and have representation in Parliament. I absolutely agree with her statement. In order to back her statement up, I’d like to provide the example of ISIS in Post-war Iraq. After de-Baathification of Iraq, thousands of experienced soldiers and military groups were under strong socio-economic pressure, they were left with anger and feeling of injustice, and barely could to afford daily needs. As Vice-President Dick Cheney claims, the vacuum of power created by the Obama administration with American troops leaving Iraq in 2011, was the cause of radical militia groups to start fulfilling the vacuum. Moreover, it wasn’t the first time when American military presence’s withdrawal led to fundamentalist groups to start to take power. CIA assured President Biden in the case of complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Afghani government would stand still at least one year. After withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was characterized with many scandals, within weeks Taliban maintained control, which once they lost decades ago. In conclusion, I may ad that not-only socio-economic failure, which is being taken care by terrorist groups leads to their sustainability of power, but also inability of any state actor to maintain a military watchdog over those regions increases their stability. “We no longer would make a distinction … between the terrorists and between those who’d sponsor terror or provided a safe harbor or sanctuary for terrorists or financing or training or weapons of any kind.
The bottom line result was ultimately, ISIS moved in from Syria … and you ended up with a caliphate established, which was a huge move forward for the terrorists.” (c) Dick Cheney.
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Yersultan Toktamyssov -
The link between unemployment and terrorism

“Mohamed Mohamoud, a florist…He is actually the first florist in Moghadishu has seen over 22 years”

A very strong message that encapsulates the very statement of human nature. I know this course is not focusing on philosophy but we cannot escape it. The speaker explained a pipeline of recruitment to terrorist organisations in Somalia. However the pattern is universal. Recruiters find the alienated, humiliated and demonized groups to use them as a tool of achieving their goals. They promise them what they seek, and they seek self-realization.

The unemployment in our world is seen as a macroeconomic issue that needs to be eliminated, but in underdeveloped regions – a fundamental step, which excludes people from achieving their true potential. Human Teleology in my opinion is the message of the video. To explain that needs to happen – letting the youth to become a part of the community to embody their skills.

To give to a youth a place in the world that excluded them and let them change what surrounds them – like Mohamed Mohamoud, a florist that planted peonies on a harsh Somalian land, and wishes to build the first public park, that will inspire people, to build who they are, and not be tools in hands of those, who promised them everything in a cost of their lives.
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Re: Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Ayana Sarkey -
Hello there! The TED Talk that I watched is called “A Vision of Crimes in the Future” by Marc Goodman. He is a former law-enforcement officer who made some great predictions that are interesting to think about even around 15 years later. The main idea that I took from his speech was how rapidly terrorists and criminals adjust to and exploit new technologies, even when some parts of the world do not have equal access to them.

Goodman mentioned the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when ten terrorists managed to continue their attack for around 60 hours. They were not only well-armed but also used technologies such as satellite phones, night-vision equipment and BlackBerry phones. They communicated with an operational center in Pakistan, which helped them receive information and coordinate their actions. Goodman uses this example to show how our openness and connection to the digital world can sometimes be used against us.

The most frightening but at the same time fascinating part was Goodman's prediction that the world could shift from plant-based narcotics to synthetic ones. He explained that instead of growing a plant to get a certain substance, its genetic instructions could be put into something like yeast, which could then work like a tiny factory and produce that substance. I do not really understand the biology behind it, but the idea itself surprised me.

I was also introduced to DNA sequencing, which simply means reading genetic information. Goodman explains that this technology is developing extremely fast and becoming much cheaper even compared with the pace associated with Moore’s Law. This can be very useful for medicine and science, but it can also create new security threats if criminals learn how to misuse biotechnology.

This was the main idea that stayed with me after the talk. Terrorists do not always need to invent something new. They can simply take technologies that already exist and find harmful ways to use them. As we get access to more powerful technologies, we also become more exposed to their possible misuse.
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Comment a TEDx Talk on Terrorism

by Aibelena Bolushbekova -

Good evening everyone!

Today I’ve decided to listen to a TED talk about the correlation of terrorism and unemployment. Because the title itself hooked my attention from a first glance, and I’ve never ran a thought about terrorism as a reason of underemployment. 

Mohamed’s main idea was not only that ,, all unemployed people become terrorists’’, but what he’s trying to explain is young individuals get really frustrated because of unemployment, which then leads to vulnerability and lack of purpose, which can be exploited by terrorist groups particularly. And the question is not shallowly about income or money, but more about what unemployment does on psychological and social level.

Ali describes Mogadishu as a city where around 70% of young people are unemployed. Which, in theory is the target audience of such T-groups .

However, in one of his examples he uses a guy who began growing real flowers locally and developed a business. He even eagered  to establish a local park, where people could spend time with their families. Mohamed Ali uses this example to show that young people can contribute to rebuilding their communities when they are given opportunities and develop a sense of purpose.

Overall it was pretty peculiar to view a topic of terrorism from the I’ve POV, I enjoyed watching the talk, I’m sure I’ll watch the remaining 9 videos just to get a more expanded vision of the topic.