The Dhaka Times Desk No one has forgotten Osama bin Laden. He was well known to people all over the world. Bin Laden became more and more popular especially after the twin tower attack in America. Now Laden's mother told how Osama bin Laden became a terrorist.
Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden is a Saudi-born Muslim militant known as the founder of the Al Qaeda organization or as a terrorist. He is commonly known as Osama Bin Laden or Usama Bin Laden.
Bin Laden is particularly known for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in America. Along with some other Islamic militants, Osama bin Laden issued two fatwas; One in 1996, the other in 1999. His fatwa was that devout Muslims should kill US military personnel and civilians until the US stopped all aid to Israel and withdrew military force from all Muslim countries.
Years after Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy SEALs, his mother Alia Ghanem spoke to the media for the first time about her son. In an interview with the British media, his mother gave some unknown information about bin Laden.
From his childhood spent in Syria to his life as a mujahid against Soviet Russia in Afghanistan, the narrative given by bin Laden's mother has come to light. The reporter of The Guardian brought up how Osama bin Laden got involved in extremism in the socio-economic and religious situation of Saudi Arabia.
Osama's mother, Alia Ghanem, came to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1950s. Osama Bin Laden was born in Riyadh in 1957. After three years, he broke up with Osama's father.
Alia Ghanem later married al-Attas, an administrative official in the fledgling bin Laden empire. Osama's father fathered 54 children. He had at least 11 wives.
Osama's mother also said that one of the people he mixed with was Abdullah Azzam, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The man was later deported from Saudi Arabia. But by then he had become Osama's spiritual advisor. In the early 1980s, Osama moved to Afghanistan to fight against Russian occupation. Ever feared that Osama might become a terrorist? In response to this question, Alia said, it never crossed my mind.
When asked how she felt when she realized that Osama had become a militant, Alia said, "We were very disappointed." Laden's mother also said that family members last met Osama bin Laden in 1999. Family members visited twice that year at a base near Kandahar.
However, Osama's stepbrother Ahmed said that his mother was not a witness to Osama's militant life. All these years after the 9/11 attack, his mother still could not accept that Osama was involved in the attack. Ahmed said, mother loved him (Osama) very much and did not want to blame him in any way. He wants to blame the situation. He knows only the good side of his son. And we've seen it all. But he knows nothing about his jihadi side.
Talking about the time when he first heard the news of the attack from New York, Ahmed said, I was very hurt, I was stunned. I had a very strange feeling. We knew from the beginning, within the first 48 hours (the attack involved Osama bin). So all of us, young and old, were ashamed. We all knew we were going to have to go through a major disaster. Family members from all countries migrated to Saudi Arabia.
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