Eurasia Press & News
The controversial 2002 letter explains the al-Qaeda leader and 9/11 mastermind’s reasons for attacking the United States.
A 2002 letter written by late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden resurfaced and started trending on TikTok and then on X, channeling antisemitic and hateful messaging on the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.
Numerous videos referencing the letter that justifies the killing of Americans appeared on the social media platform TikTok on Wednesday after a translation of the text published by The Guardian resurfaced.
In the letter, Bin Laden justifies al-Qaeda’s terror attacks, alleging that US support for Israel and repression of Muslims around the world allow violence. Some users expressed agreement with Bin Laden’s message and linked it to their rejection of Israel’s war in Gaza.
What happened: The British newspaper The Guardian published an English-language translation of bin Laden’s “letter to the American people” in 2002 after it was circulated by Islamists in the United Kingdom.
In the letter, bin Laden explained his reasons for using violence against the United States. Much of the text focuses on US support for Israel. Bin Laden referred to “fabricated lies that the Jews have a historical right to Palestine,” alleging that people who dispute this are accused of antisemitism.
“The people of Palestine are pure Arabs and original Semites. It is the Muslims who are the inheritors of Moses (peace be upon him) and the inheritors of the real Torah,” wrote bin Laden.
Bin Laden, born to a wealthy Saudi family in 1957, led the terror group al-Qaeda until he was killed in a 2011 US military raid in Pakistan. He was the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,977 people in the United States. Al-Qaeda was responsible for numerous terror attacks during his leadership, killing thousands of civilians. Those include the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the 2002 Ghriba synagogue bombing in Tunisia, the 2005 hotel bombings in Jordan and numerous attacks against civilians in Iraq following the US invasion of that country in 2003.
Bin Laden further accused the United States of supporting “Russian atrocities” against Muslims in Chechnya and “Indian oppression” against Muslims in disputed Kashmir, “stealing” the Middle East’s oil wealth, and slammed US sanctions on Iraq under Saddam Hussein. He added that pro-Western governments in the region world subjugate Muslims and prevent the establishment of Islamic law and have “surrendered to the Jews.”
He argued that US policies in the region justified al-Qaeda’s terrorism.
“The American people are the ones who choose their government by way of their own free will. …Also the American army is part of the American people. It is this very same people who are shamelessly helping the Jews fight against us,” he wrote.
Over the past 24 hours, thousands of TikToks (at least) have been posted where people share how they just read Bin Laden’s infamous "Letter to America," in which he explained why he attacked the United States.
The TikToks are from people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and… pic.twitter.com/EwjiGtFEE3
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 16, 2023Some TikTok users defended bin Laden after reading the letter. “Reading this letter, it becomes apparent that the actions of 9/11, and those acts committed against the USA and its people, were all just the build-up of our government failing other nations,” said one user. Another said that “he was right” in reference to bin Laden, according to a video posted to X.
In a rare move, The Guardian removed the letter from its website on Wednesday, saying it was “widely shared on social media without the full context.” In a statement, The Guardian instead directed readers to the original 2002 article on the letter.
Reactions: The praise from some users on the Chinese-owned platform TikTok toward bin Laden led to wide condemnation on social media, including from both Muslim and Jewish users.
Bin Laden wasn’t a tragic antihero who grew up under the boot of occupation. He was the son of billionaire developers from a powerful clan and grew up globetrotting only to found a murderous organization that destroyed Muslim lives from Morocco to Indonesia. That’s the “context.”
— Asad أسد 🗽🍎 (@AsadFromNYC) November 16, 2023The letter has been described as “antisemitic,” including by The Times in a Thursday article.
I can't believe I have to tweet this, but Osama bin Laden was not a social justice activist.
Killing 2000+ innocents was not "based."
Please go outside and touch grass.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) November 16, 2023Why it matters:
Bin Laden’s letter went viral at a time of significant division in the United States and worldwide over the Israel-Hamas war. There have been numerous protests in support of both Israel and the Palestinians throughout the country. Most recently, tens of thousands gathered in Washington for the March for Israel on Wednesday, following mass rallies in support of the Palestinians in October.
US authorities have reported an increase in hostile acts toward Jews, Arabs and Muslims since the Israel-Hamas war began.
Know more: The US State Department said in February that the Iran-based Egyptian citizen Saif al-Adel had become leader of al-Qaeda. Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s successor, was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan last year.
