As We Remember 9/11 Let's Not Forget Some Americans Think Osama bin Laden Was Right

On this 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I think it is important to remember there are some Americans (particularly young Americans) who think Osama bin Laden was right.

You might recall that last November, many young TikTok users sung bin Laden's praises in response to his 2002 Letter to America. 

It is worth remembering that much of the praise was in response to his anti-Semitic rhetoric regarding America's support of Israel. 

Of course, if one is inclined to hate Jews then it is not a stretch of the imagination that one is inclined to support bin Laden. As I wrote at the time:

As appalling as it is to know there are young Americans praising Osama bin Laden, we shouldn't be surprised. If young people in this country are cheering on Hamas for killing Jews is it really a stretch of the imagination that young people who find solidarity and solace with the man responsible for 9/11? While their organizational objectives might be different both organizations are fine with murdering Jews and killing Americans for allegedly aiding and abetting Jews.

Most frightening of all is that within 20 to 25 years, barring a sea change in attitude, these pro-Hamas and pro-al Qaeda sentiments will become mainstream opinion in the United States or what is left of it.

Those young Americans who praised bin Laden's 2002 Letter to America would be wise to read his 1998 fatwa titled "Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders" in which he writes:

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 [Mecca] 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. This is in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, "and fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together," and "fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah."

Let it be clearly understood that bin Laden's objective was to kill American civilians, and that objective was carried out on September 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 Americans aboard four airliners, in the World Trade Center and in the Pentagon. Those 2,977 Americans included a great many Muslims. Thus, in bin Laden's eyes, it was the duty of every Muslim to kill other Muslims if they happened to be American. 

Most of all, any American who justifies Osama bin Laden's rhetoric is also justifying their own execution.