Ayaan Hirsi Ali argues Islam, not grievance, drove Mohamed Atta’s 9/11 attack

In a recent opinion piece, Ayaan Hirsi Ali examines Mohamed Atta’s 1996 will, noting its explicit Islamic burial instructions, to argue that his 9/11 actions were driven by religious ideology rather than resentment toward Western culture. She argues that Western scholars and policymakers have consistently framed terrorism as a product of grievance, alienation, or foreign policy, thereby sidestepping the role of Islamism.

Hirsi Ali claims this avoidance stems from a fear of being labeled racist. She warns that the persistence of violent Islamism, now embedded in Western societies, requires a frank assessment of the ideological threat. The author calls for a comprehensive review of both terrorism and the broader ecosystem that supports it, rather than continued reliance on secular explanations. She doubts the left will shift its narrative, even if future attacks occur.