Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Bin Laden…the Stricken Family | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Bin Laden is not just a family misfortune, but a tragedy that has affected millions of Muslims across the world. Osama Bin Laden’s children’s appeal from Tehran has raised questions about his family once again. In this regard, one must say that one should not pay for the sins of another, however in this case the closest people to Bin Laden are suffering the most because of him. Of course I am talking about his children who suddenly appeared to the world asking for assistance and aid.

This tragedy singled out the Bin Laden family from the families of other Al Qaeda members, because the Bin Laden name has become a brand name associated with the worst thing to happen to the Muslim community in more than a thousand years. The Bin Laden family was the first family to take out newspaper ads disowning Osama Bin Laden and unequivocally condemning the 9/11 attacks the very next day following these attacks. Osama Bin Laden has seriously harmed all those who have any connection to him. He has harmed his family, and all Saudi Arabians, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia stripped him of his nationality long before this as a result of the crimes that he was proud of committing. Osama Bin Laden has caused the greatest harm to the Muslim community in the history of Islam, and he has incited their [the Muslim’s] opponents.

The fate that Bin Laden’s children are now suffering might even bring a bigger lump to the throat of the Bin Laden family as Osama Bin Laden left his own flesh and blood to wander aimlessly between Afghanistan and Pakistan before they eventually ended up in Iran where they are now at the mercy of political bargaining. If this man does not even care about his own children, it is not surprising that he leads other people’s children into peril, and this is not out of love for Islam or in defense of those who have been oppressed – as he claims – but rather due to his love of leadership and his disregard of other people’s lives.

Nothing can justify the crimes that Osama Bin Laden has committed, or those crimes that have been committed in his name or in the name of the terrorist network that he created. Nothing can justify the injustices that he has caused Muslims around the world to suffer. The Al Qaeda leader was not born oppressed, deprived or destitute, in fact he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and his father was a very respectable self-made man. Osama Bin Laden’s father died in a plane crash, leaving behind a pre-eminent name in the world of business, until of course, Osama Bin Laden turned the Bin Laden name into one of the most notorious names in history.

Until today, there are those who believe that Osama Bin Laden is not capable of committing the atrocities attributed to him or Al Qaeda. However this makes no sense, as Osama Bin Laden himself has justified and bragged about committing these crimes, as well as instigated other [such crimes]. It does not matter whether he orchestrated what happened, or merely heard about these crimes and claimed responsibility for them, for in either case he must be held accountable, especially as over a long period of time he has failed to show any signs of regret or remorse, nor has he denounced any single crime committed in his name.

Today Osama Bin Laden has come to have along history with terrorism, with the bloodshed beginning as early as the late nineties when he managed to escape to Sudan, breaking the travel embargo imposed upon him by Saudi Arabia. From Sudan Bin Laden began threatening and attacking his own country. He committed chilling crimes in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and his name has become a global brand affiliated with bombings from Indonesia to New York.