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Another 'letter from Binny'...
Asia News InternationalOsama bin Laden has issued a new statement urging Muslims to bury their differences and unite to fight the "external enemy", The Nation quoted sources as saying on Monday. The paper, Asharq Al-Awsat, said bin Laden had issued the statement in a letter via the Centre for Islamic Research and Studies in Pakistan. It said the letter was obtained by its journalist Mohamed el-Shaf'aie. I don't know that I'd like to do "Islamic research." What if your research finds something some holy man doesn't agree with? It's fatwah time, and somebody ices you for blasphemy. I'd guess they do a lot more study than research... The letter, written in Arabic, was 26 pages long and signed by bin Laden, the paper said, adding that fundamentalist sources in London had told el-Shaf'aie that, although the letter was undated, it was written a few weeks ago. Wordy little bastard, isn't he? "When will Muslims wake up from their long sleep and when will they distinguish between their friend and enemy," Asharq Al-Awsat quoted bin Laden as saying. "When will they direct their own arrows that they use to fight each other to their external enemy that steals and loots its fortunes and its resources." The usual blah-blah. Did they perchance attach a picture of Binny holding yesterday's newspaper? Somehow I doubt it... Asharq Al-Awsat is Saudi-owned and describes itself as an Arab independent newspaper. It is widely read and respected in the Middle East. If the letter is genuine, it would mark the first missive of 2003 from the leader of the Al Qaeda network, widely blamed for a series of atrocities across the world including the attacks of September 11, 2001, and last October's Bali nightclub bombing. "Universally" is probably the same as "widely." The campaign continues to try and convince the Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-01-20 |
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