Simple narratives can be deadly: how I recovered from a terror attack | Bonya Ahmed | TEDxExeter
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Bonya Ahmed |
TEDxExeter
• April 2018
Bonya and her husband Avijit Roy were targeted by Islamist terrorists in an attack which left her gravely injured and Avijit dead. Seeking to understand why this happened, she realised the question she must ask is not "Why did this happen to me?" but "Why NOT me?" In this deeply personal, powerful talk about her recovery and how we build a more peaceful world she urges us to reject the simple narratives offered by politicians and extremists alike, to grapple with complexity, and stay engaged.
At TEDxExeter 2018 we focussed on making connections - and building bridges. Our speakers challenged us to reflect on how, in this interconnected, interdependent world, global issues affect all of our lives, and our actions affect others. In these turbulent times of shock political outcomes, “fake news”, data breaches, war, mass migration, rapid technological progress and climate change we believe that ideas have the power to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world.
Rafida Bonya Ahmed is a published author, moderator at Mukto-mona blog, the first online platform for Bengali speaking freethinkers, and has been a Visiting Research Scholar at UT Austin since 2016, working on the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.
Bonya is the widow of Avijit Roy, a well-known writer, blogger, and activist who founded Mukto-mona. Avijit was murdered when they were attacked by Islamists during a book signing trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2015. Bonya was gravely injured during the attack.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx