The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice

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.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/ Ted
Published: 09/09/2014
ISBN: 9781476784809
Pages: 112
Weight: 0.57lbs
Size: 7.48h x 5.44w x 0.61d
Award: Alex Awards - Winner

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2014 pg. 52
Entertainment Weekly 09/12/2014 pg. 70
People Weekly 10/06/2014 pg. 50

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 179414 / Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice
Reading Level: 6.5 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 4