In the wake of the death of Osama bin-Laden, it seems appropriate to take a few minutes to consider that whilst the Western world may celebrate at this man’s passing, there are countless peoples in the Eastern world who may have viewed him differently. Whilst this may be difficult for many to accept and raises huge questions of ethical beliefs, we should consider that the most notorious of all leaders were charismatic to their own people at the time. Surely then, bin-Laden had some qualities.
Let me first state that I am not writing to posthumously exonerate bin-Laden, to justify his actions, or for this to be taken as any kind of support. The countless lives and suffering inflicted both directly and indirectly cannot and should not be denied by anyone. However, without dwelling too long on this image that is so popular, it is worth noting that indeed this is ‘the popular image’. Are we ignorant of any other ideas or (somewhat questionably) ideals?
"I can be eliminated, but not my mission." said bin-Laden in an interview with a Pakistani journalist shortly after the US invasion of Afghanistan. If this is to be taken at face value, it would suggest an aim and motive, a course of action and a reasoning in which all these ideas were founded. For his mission to survive his own lifetime, it would have to be one that was supported by a number of people and connected with their strife. No doubt, bin-laden has already established a legacy for himself: or rather he has established two legacies. In the West, his organisation of attacks spanning several decades is looked upon with disdain. Yet he united a great many people in an apparent struggle to rid the Middle East of the occupying forces that terrorised those lands.
Osama bin-Laden evidently had leadership qualities then. He was able to control masses and ensnare a certain sense of urgency, of panic, of need to react, to revolt, to protest. Furthermore, he attended Universities, with rumours of various degree paths. In this, his main interest was always religion. Spirituality and an influential family combine to form the image of a man who should be of justified opinion. As startling as it may seem, several have described the man as polite in speech and rather mild mannered. Such attributes are somewhat at odds with what would be expected, but they nonetheless demonstrate reason behind his success. He was a relatable figure across all fronts. He was educated, he could boast richness amongst the upper classes, whilst appear to be pious amongst the lower-classes (reports suggest he lived a moderate lifestyle even before his move to the mountains).
Often overlooked is bin-Laden’s work alongside the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Many of his projects were funded by the Americans and his early campaigns against Soviet occupation were viewed with praise. Indeed, upon his return to Afghanistan, he became a popular figure and was an in demand speaker for mosques across the country. It becomes apparent that his combined efforts to lead a life devoted to the betterment of his people were at the forefront of his aims. These are celebrated goals worldwide. However as his opinions began to diverge from those of the West, suspicions were soon roused. Consider his argument that "When we buy American goods, we are accomplices in the murder of Palestinians". Obviously, it may be considered extremist, but also fundamentalist. Support of a force that opposed the country’s aims was obviously contrary to the nation’s growth.
In his own way, Osama bin-Laden outlined his wish for an equality amongst nations. He could not continue to follow allegiances with those countries that prevented the forward movement of his own. We should recognise that this is the fundamental aim of any developing nation: having to compete with more advanced states only leaves room for total attention to further evolving the country.
Unfortunately, the passions of a man who had been so promising a figure of democracy and understanding soon came to cloud any justification of action. Whilst using a religious guise, the atrocities suffered under this banner of jihad only led to mistrust of these countries, further invasions and stereotyping of Islam. Not only is it disconcerting to twist religious doctrine in this fashion (although we may point to the Crusades as a similar point in case), but any advances made between Eastern and Western domains have been undermined by the reckless search for ‘equality and justice’.
Defining a terrorist still leaves a great deal to be implied and even vaguer attributes are left unaddressed. If we consider bin-Laden a terrorist, it is because he has been at the forefront of campaigns that have seen countless horrors. Then should we not reach an independent view that his success was in part due to forces that appeared to fill the same description of terrorist to some of the citizens in the Middle East. In this sense, neither side aided the other. Therefore with growing confusion, the need for some form of insurgency would have been deemed necessary. Culpability becomes a worldwide factor: in not reaching a unilateral code of conduct and peace laws, antagonism is only met with antagonism.
Whilst Osama bin-Laden may be deemed a man of many faults then, we should acknowledge him as someone who did terrible things, but was a leader through various appealing means. He had served his country, become educated, led a life that many testified was in keeping with tradition for the most part and was tactful in his announcements. In one final depiction of how his skills are best demonstrated, consider his reasoning for attacks upon America and think how closely it appears to parallel all other declarations of a justified war from the West:
"Allah knows it did not cross our minds to attack the towers but after the situation became unbearable and we witnessed the injustice and tyranny of the American-Israeli alliance against our people in Palestine and Lebanon, I thought about it. And the events that affected me directly were that of 1982 and the events that followed – when America allowed the Israelis to invade Lebanon, helped by the U.S. Sixth Fleet. As I watched the destroyed towers in Lebanon, it occurred to me punish the unjust the same way (and) to destroy towers in America so it could taste some of what we are tasting and to stop killing our children and women."
– Osama bin Laden, 2004
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