Osama bin Laden
Sheikh Osama bin Laden is the founder of al-Qaeda, a militant Islamic organization that has been involved in terrorist attacks against civilian and military targets around the world, especially against Western countries.
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- The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy mosque from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim.
- "Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders" (23 February 1998)
- After our victory in Afghanistan and the defeat of the oppressors who had killed millions of Muslims, the legend about the invincibility of the superpowers vanished. Our boys no longer viewed America as a superpower. So, when they left Afghanistan, they went to Somalia and prepared themselves carefully for a long war. They had thought that the Americans were like the Russians, so they trained and prepared. They were stunned when they discovered how low was the morale of the American soldier. America had entered with 30,000 soldiers in addition to thousands of soldiers from different countries in the world. ... As I said, our boys were shocked by the low morale of the American soldier and they realized that the American soldier was just a paper tiger.
- Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so. And if I seek to acquire these weapons, I am carrying out a duty. It would be a sin for Muslims not to try to possess the weapons that would prevent the infidels from inflicting harm on Muslims.
- In response to the interviewer stating: "The U.S. says you are trying to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons." Time Magazine Interview (23 December 1998)
- In today's wars, there are no morals. We believe the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets.
- The pieces of the bodies of infidels were flying like dust particles. If you would have seen it with your own eyes, you would have been very pleased, and your heart would have been filled with joy.
- I'm fighting so I can die a martyr and go to heaven to meet God. Our fight now is against the Americans.
- Statement in al-Quds al-Arabi, as quoted in "Bin Laden: I Didn't Do It" CBS News (12 September 2001); also at Positive Atheism's "Big List of Scary Quotes"
- Every Muslim must rise to defend his religion. The wind of faith is blowing.
- We say our terror against America is blessed terror in order to put an end to suppression, in order for the United States to stop its support to Israel.
- If inciting people to do that is terrorism, and if killing those who kill our sons is terrorism, then let history be witness that we are terrorists.
- On the September 11, 2001 attacks, in CNN broadcast of an interview that Al-Jazeera conducted in October 2001 (31 January 2002)
- Just like you kill us, we will kill you.
- We will continue to fight you as long as we have weapons in our hands.
- There is no dialogue except with weapons.
- Audiotape aired on Al-Jazeera (18 October 2003)
- This war in Iraq makes millions of dollars for big corporations, either weapons manufacturers or those working in the reconstruction, such as Halliburton and its sister companies. . . It is crystal clear who benefits from igniting the fire of this war and this bloodshed: They are the merchants of war, the bloodsuckers who run the policy of the world from behind the scenes. President Bush and his ilk, the media giants, and the U.N. . . all are a fatal danger to the world, and the Zionist lobby is their most dangerous member. God willing, we will persist in fighting them. . .
- English translation by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) of statement by bin Laden (15 April 2004)
- Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Each and every state that does not tamper with our security will have automatically assured its own security.
- Videotape broadcast on al-Jazeera TV as reported in a BBC article (29 October 2004)
- Free people do not relinquish their security. This is contrary to Bush's claim that we hate freedom. Let him tell us why we did not strike Sweden, for example.
- Videotape broadcast on al-Jazeera TV as reported by BBC (29 October 2004)
- We fought with you because we are free, and we don't put up with transgressions. We want to reclaim our nation. As you spoil our security, we will do so to you.
- It never occurred that the highest leader of the military armed forces would leave 50,000 people to face the horror that they faced all by themselves when they needed him most.
- Videotape broadcast on al-Jazeera TV as reported by CNN (29 October 2004)
- And as I was looking at those towers that were destroyed in Lebanon, it occurred to me that we have to punish the transgressor with the same, and that we had to destroy the towers in America, so that they taste what we tasted and they stop killing our women and children.
- Videotape broadcast on al-Jazeera TV as reported by CNN (29 October 2004)
- We have not found it difficult to deal with the Bush administration in light of the resemblance that it bears to the regimes in our countries, half of which are ruled by the military and the other half which are ruled by the sons of kings.
- Videotape broadcast on Aljazeera and CNN (29 October 2004)
- Every Muslim, from the moment they realize the distinction in their hearts, hates Americans, hates Jews and hates Christians. For as long as I can remember, I have felt tormented and at war, and have felt hatred and animosity for Americans.
- As quoted in Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden (2005) by Bruce Lawrence ISBN 1844670457
- Thinking people, when disaster strikes, make it their priority to look for its causes, in order to prevent it happening again.
- I am the one in charge of the 19 brothers … I was responsible for entrusting the 19 brothers … with the raids.
- On the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in an audiotape broadcast on Al Jazeera (23 May 2006)
- People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped. Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven't made a move worth mentioning.
- As for those who condemned these operations looked at the event [9/11] in isolation and failed to connect them to past events and did not look at the causes that lead to this result. So their point of view is narrow.
- Al - Jazeera Broadcast Tape - On 9/11 and the American reaction (the release date is needed for this )
Quotes about Osama bin Laden
- I would like to emphasize here, on Al-Arabiya TV, that I place Sheik Osama on the same level as my father, and I love him perhaps even more than my father.