Osama bin Laden

Early Life

Osama bin Laden was born on 10 March 1957. He grew up in a rich family in Saudi Arabia.

The Creation of al-Qaeda

In 1988, bin Laden started a group called al-Qaeda. He helped fighters in Afghanistan during a war against the Soviet Union.

Beliefs and Actions

Bin Laden thought that fighting against Western countries was needed. His group, al-Qaeda, did many attacks around the world.

The September 11 Attacks

One of the biggest attacks was on September 11, 2001, in the United States. These attacks caused many changes in safety rules around the world.

Death

For many years, bin Laden hid from authorities. In 2011, U.S. forces found him in a building in Pakistan. During an operation by U.S. Navy SEALs, he died.

Legacy

Today, many people see bin Laden as a symbol of harmful actions. Some groups still admire him.

Names

Further information: Romanization of Arabic and Arabic name

Osama bin Laden had several names. His most common name is Osama bin Laden, but it can also be spelled Usama or bin Ladin. In secret reports, U.S. intelligence called him Usama bin Laden, shortening it to "UBL". His full name was Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, meaning Osama, son of Mohammed, son of Awad, son of Laden.

He was also known by other names such as Shaykh Osama bin Laden, Mujahid Shaykh, the Prince, the Emir, Hajj, the Director, and Abu Abdallah. The word mujahid means someone who takes part in a struggle for Islam, and Hajj refers to the special journey Muslims make to the holy city of Mecca. Abu Abdallah was a special name based on one of his sons.

Early life

Muhammad bin Ladin

Osama bin Laden was born on 10 March 1957 in Saudi Arabia. His father was from Yemen, and his mother was from Syria. He grew up in a large family. He went to school in Jeddah and later studied in Oxford, England. During his time at university, he became interested in learning about Islam and wanted to help others through charity work.

Religious and political views

Further information: Political views of Osama bin Laden and Interviews of Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden grew up following Sunni Islam. He believed in following the Quran exactly. He disliked many modern activities, like gambling, music, and unwholesome activities on Sunday.

Bin Laden felt the Islamic world had problems because many people did not follow Islamic rules strictly. He thought returning to strict Islamic law could solve these problems. He opposed democracy, feeling it went against Islamic teachings. He also felt the United States was a problem, especially because of its support for Israel and its military presence in Saudi Arabia. He believed strong actions were needed to address these issues.

Militant and political career, 1979–2001

Main article: Militant career of Osama bin Laden

In 1979, Afghanistan was invaded by another country. Bin Laden left college to help local fighters resist the invasion. He used money from his family to support these fighters and built places for them to hide.

Later, bin Laden started a group with other leaders. This group wanted to defend Muslims who were treated unfairly. Over time, the group planned attacks on other countries. These attacks caused many problems around the world.

11 September 2001 attacks

Main article: September 11 attacks

On September 11, 2001, a group called al-Qaeda took control of four airplanes in the United States. They crashed two planes into buildings called the Twin Towers in New York City, and the buildings fell down. Another plane hit a building in Virginia called the Pentagon. The fourth plane was headed toward Washington, D.C., but the people on the plane fought back, and it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania instead. Many people were hurt or killed.

After the attacks, many countries worked together to help stop similar events from happening again. New safety rules were added at airports, and new groups were created to help keep people safe. The events led to big changes in how countries worked together.

Militant and political career, 2001–2011

Further information: Aftermath of the September 11 attacks and Prelude to the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States started working to stop a group called al-Qaeda. The U.S. looked for the group's leader. The U.S. worked with other countries to find and stop members of al-Qaeda. Many countries helped each other to fight this group. This led to many actions and changes in different parts of the world.

Al-Qaeda kept planning attacks after 2001. They worked with other groups in many countries. The U.S. and its partners kept looking for the leader of al-Qaeda for many years. In 2011, they found where he was hiding and acted to stop him. This showed how countries can work together to stop groups that want to harm others.

Death

Main article: Killing of Osama bin Laden

On 2 May 2011, bin Laden was killed at his home in Abbottabad. A U.S. military special operations team carried out the operation, which was ordered by President Obama.

After this, bin Laden’s body was buried at sea in a way that followed Islamic customs. People reacted differently to the news of his death. Ayman al-Zawahiri took over as leader of al-Qaeda until he was killed in 2022.

Personal life

Main article: Personal life of Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden was tall and thin, and he often used a cane to walk. He thought that eating honey could help with many health problems. He liked to spend time with his family doing simple things, such as going to the desert for picnics and playing sports like football and volleyball.

Bin Laden married several women and had many children. His family life had both happy and difficult moments, as some of his marriages ended in separation or divorce.

Legacy

Osama bin Laden was seen by many in the West as a dangerous person who led a group that caused harm around the world. Some people in certain Muslim countries once thought well of him, especially during a time of conflict. Over time, even many of those people changed their minds about him. After his death, opinions varied.