Hello. I've been doing a research paper on osama bin laden, mostly drawing from wikipedia as refrance, but i was hoping that i could get some advice from you guys. I'll copy and paste what i have already.
[QUOTE]Osama Bin Laden Is the reputed leader of the militant islamist group known as Al-Qaeda. He was born in March 10, 1957. He was a key figure in repelling the soviet-led invasion of afganistan in 1979. Countless years later, he conducted the 9/11 Massacre, in which four airliners were hijacked and used in suicide attacks against new york and washinton D.C, resulting in the death of thousands.
He was born to a prestigious royal family in saudi arabia.
From wikipedia...
“Bin Laden is often described as lanky; the FBI describes him as tall and thin, being 6' 4.5" (194 cm) tall and weighing about 165 pounds (75 kg). He has an olive complexion, is left-handed, and usually walks with a cane. He wears a plain white turban and no longer dons the traditional Saudi male headdress, generally white.
In terms of personality, bin Laden is described as a soft-spoken, mild mannered man; and despite his rhetoric, he is said to be charming, polite, and respectful. According to Michael Scheuer, bin Laden claims to speak only Arabic, though others, such as Rhimaulah Yusufzai and Peter Bergen, believe he understands English.[30] However, in a 1998 interview, he had English questions translated for him into Arabic. “
Intrestingly enough, America actully provided the munitions and support to bin laden to fight against the invading soviets.
In my opinion, i believe that Osama Bin Laden is just one in a long line of fanatics that has plauged the middle east for millenia. With all honestly, He was probably indoctrinated at a very young age into a violent fundamentalist ideaology....Just as those raising him were.(Although it would be fair to note that Osama is considered an extremist among extremists.)
In finite religious terms, “Jihad” actully refers to the conflict inside one’s soul between good and evil. Normally, the “Greater Jihad” is the conflict
inside one’s heart, whearas the “Lesser Jihad” refers to the outer struggle involving weapons. However, this term has been reclaimed by violent radicals to imply a brutal crusade against judaism and western influence.
I find it incredibly disturbing that impressionable children can be indoctrinated into a belief that ignores base humans values. In Iran, a country known for it’s fudamentalist creed, Rape is in fact indirectly sanctioned by the government. (Normally, women are arrested for “Seducing” their agressors). This is fairly common in other parts of the middle east as well.
However, we have to step back and look at ourselves. We may be going on a radical jihad ourselves.
Lately, the united states seems to be developing many traits that organizations like al’qaeda possesses, including religious fudamentalism, the tendency to use youths as cannon fodder.
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If you haven't guessed by now, some of this is my opinions. Clearly, i don't mean to start a no-bar-holds flame war, but if anyone wants to contribute data or comment on my claims, feel free to do so.
