Growing Up Bin Laden

Osama bin Laden, the name itself strikes terror in the bravest of hearts. But his personal life has always been fiercely guarded. Recently, his personal life came under public scrutiny when “Growing Up Bin Laden” was released. It has been authored by Jean Sasson and has been co-authored by Osama’s fourth son Omar Bin Laden and his senior wife Najwa  Bin Laden.

As the book progressed, it came as a shock to learn that Osama, in his early life had been shy and laid back but it was with his silence that he commanded attention. Deeply religious, he was a nature lover and considered nature to be God’s greatest gift to humankind. Jean Sasson said that, “People are not born terrorists. Nor do they become terrorists in a single stroke..And so it was with Osama Bin Laden. And the man, men and events that planted the seed faded away. But the seed grew and the terrorist walked. And this man before, became the terrorist thereafter.” [Growing Up Bin Laden, Jean Sasson, xiv].

Jean Sasson rightly justifies the fact Osama Bin Laden was not a born terrorist and as a reader you will probably be compelled to agree.  Then what lead him to spread so much of terror, loss of innocent blood of human beings? The reason was that it angered him that he was denied a chance to serve his own country Saudi Arabia, when Iraq attacked Kuwait. Instead of taking help from the Mujahedeen, Saudi Arabia took the assistance of United States and the first seed of antagonism was planted.

The entire world knows the brutality one man can inflict on the entire world. But this book is a glaring example of how overpowering hatred can numb all other emotions. Such was Osama’s hatred for the United States that he did not hesitate to ask his sons to put their names in the list of suicide bombers. Omar Bin Laden justifies this as, “My father hated his enemies more that he loved his sons”. It is rather interesting to note that just the way he terrorised the world his family was equally terrorized by him. He was a complete dictator and controlled everything with an iron hand. He was an egoist to such an extent that he led people to believe he was left handed but never accepted the fact that he was partially blind in the right eye.

Osama Bin Laden remained an enigma most of his life. His life, acts are now a part of history, which will be recounted for generations to come. Even though he has spread only hatred in this world, his sons did not follow his footsteps. They did not inherit the terrorist their father was. Omar Bin laden, when he was leaving Afghanistan saw a tall figure, his father, disappearing into the horizon. He knew that he was not running away from Afghanistan to look from happiness but to merely find peace.