THE WORLD WITHOUT OSAMA BIN LADEN

The US Government says it has killed Osama Bin Laden, and has thrown his body into the sea. Until there is evidence contrary, it has to be believed that this is the end of the life of a man who, perhaps more than any other in the last twenty years, has changed the nature of international politics and security, and whose impact will continue to be felt across the world for a long time. The world after Bin Laden will continue to be structured around his vision, mission and activities, and the international community will benefit immensely from a deeper understanding of the conditions which made it possible for Osama bin Laden to emerge and wield the type of influence he did. 

Osama bin Laden represented different symbols to different parts of the world. For the US and its allies, he represented a deadly threat and a potent challenge to their dominance of the world. He represented a violent alternative of international diplomacy and maintenance of a world structured by massive inequality in power and economic resources. He represented naked use of violence on a large and extensive scale to achieve political ends. He represented an insidious and dangerous threat to the lives of ordinary citizens, to their livelihood, and to their lifestyles. He represented the sacrifices of countless young men and women who were willing to die while killing hundreds or thousands of other people, the vast majority of whom are only guilty of being citizens of countries over which he declared wars. He represented the trigger to the war in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and the tensions and skirmishes in most of Asia and Africa. He represented the unfamiliar face of Islam which defies the West, and defines it categorically and openly as an enemy to be fought as a duty by every Muslim.

In the Muslim world, Osama will represent a major paradox. His religion of Islam defines clearly the conditions for waging war or killing people, particularly those who are innocent. Yet almost the entire Muslim people live in countries that are among the poorest in the world, and are substantially victims of a world in which the western powers did as they wish, and the poor nations suffered as they must. Islam and Muslim nations are dominated by non-Islamic forces, and these forces will not allow a fair and equitable resolution of the middle-east situation, or the removal of corrupt and compliant leadership which oppresses people in the Muslim world. Burdened by poverty and political impotence, Muslims, according to Bin Laden, could only achieve salvation if they fought the Western powers, or, more specifically, the United States. The image of a potential victory was imprinted on the minds of many young Muslims through the spectacular impact of events such as the bombings of the Twin Towers and other violent acts targeted at high profile objects and people.

For the world’s poor, Bin Ladin represented a serious dilemma. His message of the use of terror to achieve political ends satisfied a small minority which felt the pains of the arrogance of the rich and the powerful, and the hopelessness of a life without prospects for change. Yet the bulk of humanity abhors violence, whether it is the violence of the oppressor or the oppressed. The world of the weak and poor also appreciated the futility of taking on a powerful enemy by killing its citizens indiscriminately.

For billions of other people across the world, Osama Bin Ladin represents the reasons why life became less secure; why traveling became a very hazardous and tedious affair; why virtually all governments spend more and more of their resources on improvements in security; and why there is greater distrust between the world’s Muslim and non-Muslim community. For every young Muslim who saw a hero in Osama, there are many more who swallowed the stereotype of Islam as an intolerant religion, a threat to all non-Muslims; and of all Muslims as potential or actual terrorists.

Whatever lessons different parts of the worlds derive from the life and times of Osama Bin Ladin, it will be a great mistake to assume that the world will find lasting peace and security because he is dead. The failure or refusal of the West to fairly and decisively resolve the middle east situation on the basis of justice for the Palestinian people and security for Israel will continue to feed the anger of the world’s Muslims. So long as this issue remains unresolved, the Muslim world will have an uneasy relationship with the West. The poverty in much of the Muslim world, and the existence of corrupt and unrepresentative leadership supported by the West is also a major source of anger and resentment. It must be addressed by supporting the current mass uprisings sweeping across the entire Arab and Muslim world. The West needs  to re-engage the Muslim world as a respected equal in a dialogue on co-existence, and not as a conquered enemy which is both feared and despised. Muslims across the world need to look deeply at the sources of their weaknesses vis-à-vis the non-Muslim world, and identify strategies which will allow Muslims to live in this world without threats to their faith and without having to sacrifice their young people to perpetual conflicts.

Osama Bin Ladin is both loved and despised by many millions of Nigerians. With his death, we should expect to see both sadness among those who  saw in him a symbol of resistance against anti-Islamic forces, as well as joy among who saw him as representing intolerance and terror on a grand scale. Muslims will know that every life will taste of death, and Osama will be judged for his deeds by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. Non-Muslims will be well advised to work with Muslims to understand why Osama bin Ladin represents hope and inspires many people to give their lives and take those of others, because our nation and the world will be a better and safer place only if we all work to create an environment which encourages mutual respect and a holistic development for every citizen.