UNITED KINGDOM: A letter penned by Osama bin Laden justifying the 9/11 attacks in 2001 has gone viral on TikTok, with users expressing support for the extremist views expressed in the document, Daily Mail reported.
Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the Al-Qaeda terrorist group, wrote the ‘Letter to America’ in 2002 to rationalise the heinous acts that claimed thousands of innocent lives.
The hashtag ‘LettertoAmerica’ on TikTok has garnered immense attention, amassing over 7.3 million views. Shockingly, many users seem to endorse the distorted reasoning presented by Bin Laden, ignoring the grave consequences of the attacks.
The resurgence of the letter gained momentum after The Guardian, a UK newspaper, linked to a 2002 article translating it in full. Although the link was later removed, the letter continued to circulate on TikTok, sparking discussions that often lack historical context and condemnatory perspective.
The ‘Letter to America’ presents anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-Western sentiments, attributing one of the main motivations for 9/11 to US support for Israel. Bin Laden’s letter alleges the collective culpability of all Americans and Jewish people for perceived crimes against Muslims globally.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio criticised TikTok users for embracing Bin Laden’s warped rationale, stating, “Now trending on social media… people saying that after reading bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America,’ they now understand terrorism is a legitimate method of resistance.”
The Guardian, acknowledging the removal of the letter, stated it was shared “without its original context.” The page that hosted the letter now directs readers to a news article that initially contextualised it, emphasising the importance of understanding the historical background.
The TikTok trend’s originator, Lynette Adkins, urged users to read the letter, contributing to the widespread dissemination of Bin Laden’s extremist ideology. Adkins, previously featured in a Los Angeles Times piece, links to a fundraising page for “Palestinian rights” on her TikTok bio.
The letter’s reemergence coincides with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, specifically the Israel-Hamas war. While the letter attempts to link the 9/11 attacks to US policies, its resurgence lacks a critical examination of Bin Laden’s violent legacy and oppressive ideologies.
A famous UK newspaper site made an unusual move Wednesday by deleting a 21-year-old letter written by Osama bin Laden from their site after several TikTokers urged followers to read the al Qaeda leader’s missive.
The Guardian deleted bin Laden’s “Letter to America” as it had gone viral on TikTok after users of the social media platform encouraged their followers to read the letter.
The page now displays a message that says: “This page previously displayed a document containing, in translation, the full text of Osama bin Laden’s ‘Letter to the American people,’ as reported in the Observer on Sunday 24 November 2002.
“The document, which was published here on the same day, was removed on 15 November 2023.”
According to TheWrap, a spokesperson for the British paper said: “The transcript published on our website 20 years ago has been widely shared on social media without the full context.
“Therefore we have decided to take it down and direct readers to the news article that originally contextualised it instead.”
What are people discussing on TikTok?
Bin Laden’s letter to the American people states that September 11, 2001, happened because of US support of Israel.
“They threw hundreds of thousands of soldiers against us and have formed an alliance with the Israelis to oppress us and occupy our land; that was the reason for our response on the eleventh,” the letter, which can easily be found elsewhere online, reads in part.
According to TheWrap, the “eye-opening” TikTok trend seems to have started with a video posted by Lynnette Adkins, in which she told her nearly 12 million followers: “I need everyone to stop doing what they’re doing right now and go read ‘Letter to America,’ I feel like I’m going through an existential crisis right now.”
Adkins’ video has received responses from other TikTokers, saying, “My eyes have been opened.”
Another user who shared the letter wrote, “We’ve been lied to our entire lives, I remember watching people cheer when Osama was found and killed.”
In one of her many follow-up videos, Adkins says, “TikTok is going to save this generation,” because older people are “programmed to think a certain way.”
As a result, phrases including “Osama letter to America summary,” “a letter to America full text” and “a letter to America explained” were among the trending searches on TikTok.
The anti-Israel letter from Bin Laden has resurfaced at the same time as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refuted claims that his nation is waging war crimes in Gaza despite the martyrdom of over 11,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.
In the month following the Hamas attack and Israel’s military response, there have been clashes between proponents of Israel and Palestine all over the world.
Several celebrities, including former United Nations Goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, have called for a ceasefire in the region.
