The following are reactions to the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011, from Middle East television and jihadi websites. The clips are from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza, and the U.K.
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2910
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya Condemns the Killing of the 'Muslim Mujahid' Osama Bin Laden
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2910.
Following are excerpts from a statement by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya on the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which aired on Al-Jazeera Network on May 3, 2011:
Ismail Haniya: "We believe that this continues an American policy that is based on oppression and on the shedding of Arab and Muslim blood."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2911
Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb Criticizes Decision to Bury Bin Laden at Sea and Calls U.S. Operation An Act of 'Piracy'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2911.
Following are excerpts from a statement by Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, which aired on Al-Jazeera Network on May 2, 2011:
Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "The real reasons for terror are to be found in the West, not the East. The existence of Israel as an unjust, oppressive, and colonialist power, which controls the entire region, is the number one reason for terror. If Bin Laden is dead, but the double standards on the part of the U.S., the EU, and the West live on, and if Israel continues to do whatever it wants in the region, there will be many more Bin Ladens."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2912
Preacher Eulogizes Bin Laden at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Warns: Obama Will Soon Be 'Hanging from the Gallows' Next to Bush
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2912.
Following are excerpts from a eulogy for Osama bin Laden at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which aired on the Internet on May 2, 2011:
Preacher: "Today, the dogs of the West are rejoicing at the killing of one of the lions of Islam. Today, the West rejoices at the killing of one of the lions of Islam. We say to them, from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, from the heart of the Caliphate, which, Allah willing, is soon to come: Dogs should not rejoice at the killing of lions. A country of dogs will always remain a country of dogs, while a lion remains a lion even after it is killed."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2913
Saudi Cleric and Author Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jazlani on the Killing of Bin Laden: 'Rejoicing at the Death of This Tyrant Is Required by Islamic Law'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2913.
Following is an excerpt from an interview with Saudi cleric and author Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jazlani, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 2, 20011:
Muhammad Al-Jazlani: "Osama bin Laden is the spiritual father of Al-Qaeda, and he continued to play a central role in that terrorist group, which has transgressed Islam. We can only say that rejoicing at the death of this tyrant is required by Islamic law."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2914
Al-Jazeera TV Host Clashes with London-based Islamist Hani Al-Sibai over Glorification of Osama Bin Laden
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2914.
Following are excerpts from an interview with London-based Islamist Hani Al-Sibai', which aired on Al-Jazeera Network on May 2, 2011:
Hani Al-Siba'i: "In my view, Sheikh Osama bin Laden – as he is referred to by his followers and by those who love him – is the reviver of Islam in our times, and he is one of the lions of Islam. Sheikh Osama bin Laden did not leave his country for a trip of pleasure, or in search of a good time. He left his country as a mujahid, putting himself in harm's way, and leaving his previous life behind."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2918
Sudanese Islamic Scholar Sheikh 'Atiyya Muhammad Sa'id Calls U.S. President Obama an Apostate Who Must Be Executed, and Says: 'The Path of Osama Bin Laden Is Our Path'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2918.
Following are excerpts from a statement by Sheikh 'Atiyya Muhammad Sa'id, a member of the Sudanese Islamic Scholars Association, at a rally, which was posted on the Internet on May 5, 2011:
Sheikh 'Atiyya Muhammad Sa'id: "May Allah have mercy on Osama bin Laden. May Allah place him along with the righteous and the martyrs, 'on whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.' He sought not this world, but the world to come."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2919
Friday Prayers at a Cairo Mosque Turn into a Pro-Bin Laden Rally At the Mosque and Opposite U.S. Embassy
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2919.
Following are excerpts from Friday prayers at Al-Nour Mosque in Cairo, which turned into a pro-bin Laden rally, first at the mosque and later moving to the U.S. Embassy. The footage aired on the Al-Jazeera Network on May 6, 2011.
Crowds: "Death to America!
"Death to America!
"Death to America!
"Death to America!"
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2921
Saudi Expert on Al-Qaeda Fares Bin Hizam: Despite Bin Laden's Image of Asceticism, His Sons Lived a Life of Luxury and Were Never Sent to the Battlefront
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2921.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Fares bin Hizam, a Saudi expert on Al-Qaeda, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 8, 2011:
Interviewer: "The image of Bin Laden as a hero was generated by the notion that he was living in valleys and caves. Even the pursuit was conducted in these rugged areas. Now it transpires that he was living in a house in the city, in a nice area, with three wives and ten children. What was behind the image of Bin Laden leading a life of poverty, even of asceticism?"
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2922
Sudanese Islamic Scholar Abd Al-Hayy Yousuf at a Rally: 'Osama Bin Laden Is Our Brother and Our Patron'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2922.
Following are excerpts from a statement by Abd Al-Hayy Yousuf, deputy head of the Sudanese Islamic Scholars Association, at a rally, which was posted on the Internet on May 5, 2011:
Abd Al-Hayy Yousuf: "We pledge, before Allah, that the man killed yesterday [bin Laden] is our brother. We pledge, before Allah, that we love him."
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MEMRI TV Clip No. 2923
Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al Condemns the Way Bin Laden Was Killed
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2923.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al, which aired on Al-Jazeera Network on May 7, 2011. The transcript is from the English translation.
Interviewer: "There has been a lot of talk about Hamas's stance on the killing of Bin Laden, and the way he was killed. Can you set the record straight, and tell us what is Hamas's stance on this issue?"
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2924
Egyptian Cleric Muhammad Abd Al-Maqsoud in Support of Bin Laden: He Was Falsely Accused of Carrying Out 9/11
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2924.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian cleric Muhammad Abd Al-Maqsoud, which aired on Al-Nas TV on May 2, 2011.
Muhammad Abd Al-Maqsoud: "[Bin Laden] was labeled a 'terrorist,' even though he made great strides in the Jihad against the Soviet enemy in Afghanistan, before the collapse of the USSR."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2925
American Jihadist Abu Mansour Al-Amriki Warns That the Death of Bin Laden Will Not Derail Jihad, Calls Obama 'Double-Speaking Trickster'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/2925.
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2926
Islamist Sheikh Omar Bakri: 'The Islamic Nation Needs Great Leaders Like Sheikh Osama Bin Laden'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2926.
Following are excerpts from a TV show featuring Lebanese MP Uqab Saqr and Islamist Omar Bakri, which aired on LBC TV on May 5, 2011, and from an interview with Omar Bakri, which aired on TRT TV on May 4, 2011.
Uqab Saqr: "There is no doubt that [Osama bin Laden] is a killer, who spilled the blood of Muslims, just as he killed the enemies of the Muslims. He is responsible for what happened in northern Africa..."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2927
Mustafa Hamdan, Former Head of Lebanese Presidential Guard: 'The Killing of Sheikh Osama Bin Laden Is a Criminal Act'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2927.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Mustafa Hamdan, former head of Lebanese Presidential Guard, which aired on Al-Jadeed/New TV on May 11, 2011:
Mustafa Hamdan: "The killing of Sheikh Osama bin Laden is a criminal act and a violation of [the sovereignty of] an Islamic land."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2928
Islamists Hold Funeral Prayers for Osama Bin Laden in London, Chanting: 'Obama, Watch Your Back' and 'Democracy, Burn in Hell!'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2928.
Following are excerpts from a demonstration and funeral prayers for Osama bin Laden in front of Regent's Park Mosque in London. The footage was posted on the Internet on May 6, 2011.
British Islamist: "You need to look to the U.S. government. They are the real terrorists. They are the ones who are killing many innocent Muslims. They are killing your brothers. They are killing your sisters. Are we not going to respond, my dear Muslims, while these infidels come out so arrogantly, saying that they are victorious, and they are the ones who are establishing justice?"
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2930
Former Afghan PM and Leader of the Islamic Party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in Response to Bin Laden's Death: The Americans Are 'Barbarians Who Mutilate Bodies'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2930.
Following are excerpts from an interview with former Afghan prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Afghan Islamic Party, which aired on Al-Jazeera Network on May 12, 2011:
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: "I believe that the Americans will not be able to achieve their filthy goals. They will not be able to resolve their domestic problems by means of killing and terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. They will not be able to oppress the Islamic resistance by killing one or two people. Osama was a role model of sacrifice and freedom for a generation or two."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2933
Former Saudi TV Host Rania Al-Baz: Bin Laden Was a Black Stain on the Lives of Muslims
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2933.
Former Saudi TV host Rania Al-Baz was recently interviewed by Murr TV. In 2004, Al-Baz made headlines when she gave an emotional interview to a Saudi TV channel, after having been beaten by her husband within an inch of her life. The channel also aired an interview with the abusive husband. To view the 2004 interviews, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/184.
Following are excerpts from the current interview, which aired on May 8, 2011.
Rania Al-Baz: "When Bin Laden first came on the scene, people considered him to be a prophet, who would kill the Americans and who would liberate the Muslims. This was how he was perceived at first, and it continues to this day."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2939
Former Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Nasr Farid Wassel: Bin Laden Is a Martyr Killed by the American Enemy
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2939.
Following are excerpts from a statement by former Egyptian mufti Sheikh Nasr Farid Wassel, which was posted on YouTube on May 7, 2011.
Sheikh Nasr Farid Wassel: "The martyr Bin Laden, Allah's mercy upon him, waged Jihad for the sake of Allah against the Soviets and against America."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2942
Iranian Children's TV Show Depicts America Using Bin Laden to Carry Out 9/11
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2942.
Following are excerpts from an Iranian children's show on bin Laden and 9/11, which aired on Iranian Channel 2 on May 13, 2011:
Presenter (Saeed): "Children, these days you've been hearing, time and again, about the killing of Osama bin Laden, the leader of the Al-Qaeda group. How was Osama bin Laden created? From where did Al-Qaeda emerge?"
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2951
Recently Resigned Al-Jazeera TV Reporter Ghassan Bin Jiddu: The Way Bin Laden Was Killed and Dumped in the Sea Is An Affront to Arabs and Muslims
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2951.
Following are excerpts from an interview with recently resigned Al-Jazeera TV journalist Ghassan Bin Jiddu, which aired on Al-Dunya TV on May 19, 2011:
Ghassan Bin Jiddu: "You just mentioned Sheikh Osama bin Laden. Regardless of what we think about Sheikh Osama bin Laden, or about what Al-Qaeda did in the United States… I am among those who never concealed their objection to the attack against New York and Washington in the United States. I was not ashamed to express my opinion from the very first moment."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2952
Speakers at Pro-Bin Laden Rally in Gaza Strip Praise 9/11 and Say: Osama Lives On in Our Hearts
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2952.
Following are excerpts from pro-bin Laden rallies in the Gaza Strip, which was posted on the Internet on May 20, 2011:
Crowds: "There is no god but Allah.
"America is the enemy of Allah."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2961
Pakistani Security Analyst Ali Mahr: It Is Possible that Pakistani Military Men 'Helped Bin Laden and Turned a Blind Eye' to His Presence
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2961.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Pakistani security analyst Ali Mahr, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 27, 2011:
Ali Mahr: "I don't see why it should be surprising that bin Laden was found in a large Pakistani city. Abbottabad is not a small town. All the top Al-Qaeda commanders arrested in Pakistan, by Pakistani forces – like Khalid Sheikhh Mohammed, Abu Zbeida, Ramzi bin Al-Shiba, and Abu Yasser Al-Jaziri – were found in Pakistan's largest cities, like Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, or Faisalabad. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that bin Laden had stayed for a long time in a large Pakistani city."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2977
Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Threatens New Attacks on U.S. Following Bin Laden's Death
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2977.
Following are excerpts from a video featuring Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, which was posted on the Internet on June 8, 2011.
Ayman Al-Zawahiri: "I would like to bring to the Muslim nation – the nation of faith and monotheism, of Jihad and of martyrdom, the nation of sacrifice, the nation of hijra and ribat – the glad tidings of the martyrdom of the imam, the mujahid, the innovator, the muhajir, the murabit, the noble Emir, the skilled commander, the ascetic servant of Allah, who rises above the trifles of this world, the hero who fought in the advanced rank, the pioneer of Jihad against the Communists, and later, against the Crusaders, the imam of our times in the Jihad against America, who spurred on the nation, and was the symbol of its glory and nobility, and of its rejection of humiliation and subservience – Abu Abdallah Osama bin Muhammad bin Laden, may Allah cover him with mercy and give him a place in Paradise, 'among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. What a goodly company they be.'"
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2984
Wali Al-Rahman Mahsoud, Deputy Commander of Taliban-Pakistan: Bin Laden Detonated His Explosive Belt During the American Operation
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2984.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Wali Al-Rahman Mahsoud deputy commander of Taliban-Pakistan, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 27, 2011:
Wali Al-Rahman Mahsoud: "I am certain that Osama bin Laden was martyred. As far as we know, the reason the U.S. did not show photos of his body is that during the American operation and effort to arrest him, he [detonated] the explosive belt he always kept with him. According to our information, he detonated his martyrdom belt. The U.S. could not show a photo because nothing was left of his body."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 2994
Egyptian Presidential Candidate Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Al-Futouh: America's 'Gang-Like Political Killing' of Bin Laden Makes Me Doubt There Is Such a Thing As Al-Qaeda
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/2994.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Al-Futouh, Egyptian presidential candidate and former member of the Muslim Brotherhood leadership. The interview aired on Al-Mehwar TV on May 24, 2011.
Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Al-Futouh: "Since America was able to kill him, it obviously could have captured him and placed him on trial. All this makes us doubt whether there is a thing as Al-Qaeda or bin Laden to begin with."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 3003
Sudanese Cleric Sheikh Ali Al-Jazouli Pays Homage to Osama Bin Laden and Calls Upon Muslims to Attack U.S. Citizens Worldwide
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/3003.
Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Sudanese cleric Sheikh Ali Al-Jazouli, which aired on the Internet, on May 29, 2011:
Sheikh Ali Al-Jazouli: "The notion of the importance of tipping the global balance of terror in favor of the Muslims is the guiding principle of Osama bin Laden. What is the outcome of this guiding principle? It is what I told you in a previous Friday sermon, about an article written by Friedman Thomas [sic]. The American Jew Friedman Thomas wrote an article in The Washington Post, titled 'Dialogue with the Rebels.' He wrote that in light of the rising hatred of America, the White House should know that it must deal with the Islamic world as it is, and not as the White House would like it to be. He wrote that if the Islamic world gives us three things, we should disengage from it, and let peoples of the region establish whatever regimes they want."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 3013
Egyptian Lawyer Muntasar Al-Zayat: The Martyr Bin Laden Is Innocent of Operations in Islamic Countries
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/3013.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian lawyer Muntasar Al-Zayat, which aired on Al-Faraeen TV on May 23, 3011:
Muntasar Al-Zayat: "The Americans are the ones who killed bin Laden. They killed him and, therefore, he is a martyr. He is considered a martyr because he was fighting for a cause: first, the liberation of the Hejaz from the Americans, and then the liberation of Iraq from the Americans, and the liberation of Afghanistan from the foreign invasion."
MEMRI TV Clip No. 3022
Imran Khan, Head of Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf Party: 'Here Was Osama Bin Laden In Pakistan – The Number One Shock'
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/343/3022.
Following are excerpts from an interview with Imran Khan, head of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf Party, which was posted on the Internet on June 16, 2011:
Imran Khan: "May 2nd [the date of Osama bin Laden's killing] took us all by shock. It was the biggest shock because here was Osama bin Laden in Pakistan – the number one shock. Number two – he was not in the tribal areas of the wild areas, and actually in a city. Number three – we heard that the Pakistan government, army, or intelligence agencies provided the intelligence. Yet they didn't finish the job. The Americans came and killed him."
