Zaid Shakir – From 9/11 to Hiroshima: Two Acts of Terrorism Against Humanity

About this lecture

In this lecture delivered at UC Davis, Imam Zaid Shakir examines political violence through a comparative lens, arguing that terrorism — defined as the killing of civilians to achieve a political outcome — has been most extensively perpetrated by states, citing the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki alongside 9/11 as case studies. He challenges the subjective and politicized use of the term "terrorism," surveys the root causes of political violence beyond religion, and presents core Islamic teachings on war and peace to demonstrate that Islam fundamentally regards peace as the norm and war as a conditional last resort. The lecture concludes with a wide-ranging Q&A covering self-defense, martyrdom, the obligations of Muslim youth, and the internal and external factors driving conflict in Iraq and Pakistan.