Why is bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’ trending during Gaza war?
The controversial 2002 letter explains the al-Qaeda leader and 9/11 mastermind’s reasons for attacking the United States.
A 2002 letter written by late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden resurfaced and started trending on TikTok and then on X, channeling antisemitic and hateful messaging on the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.
Numerous videos referencing the letter that justifies the killing of Americans appeared on the social media platform TikTok on Wednesday after a translation of the text published by The Guardian resurfaced.
In the letter, Bin Laden justifies al-Qaeda's terror attacks, alleging that US support for Israel and repression of Muslims around the world allow violence. Some users expressed agreement with Bin Laden's message and linked it to their rejection of Israel's war in Gaza.
What happened: The British newspaper The Guardian published an English-language translation of bin Laden’s “letter to the American people” in 2002 after it was circulated by Islamists in the United Kingdom.
