The son of Osama bin Laden, who is increasingly becoming the mouthpiece of modern al-Qaeda, made a pitch to fellow millennials to give their lives to ensure “Islam shall live honorably” across the world.
In an audio message released by al-Qaeda’s as-Sahab Media, Hamza bin Laden promoted and encouraged support for the work of jihadists in Syria, while emphasizing that “all Muslims” must step up to support jihad and “be proud of the West’s profiling of us as ‘terrorists.'”
Now in his late 20s, bin Laden was officially brought into the family business two years ago and was designated a terrorist by the United States this January.
In a message to jihadists in Syria, bin Laden told them to “not accept half-baked solutions, nor stop mid-way in your path before you have reached your destination, for this will be nothing but a waste of your tremendous sacrifices” if they don’t keep fighting.
He offered “a loving and sympathetic word of caution” to jihadists: “the battle which you are waging today is of immense significance and momentous consequences.”
“Your enemy is exceptionally cunning and schemes day in and day out to outwit you, divide your ranks, disperse your strength and sow discord and disputes amongst you to completely uproot you. The enemy picks on each one of you separately. This demands from you extreme vigilance, deliberation, holding tightly together to the rope of Allah,” he added.
Bin Laden warned that the “international system and the states of the West and the East that are fighting against you do so because you seek to establish a true Islamic government” and told al-Qaeda followers to “seize the initiative” by “turning your back on the disbelievers and their allies and being on your guard against them… we must be proud of our religion and seek honor in jihad” as well as take pride in “our enmity of America.”
“Let us be proud of the anger of the West and its hatred for us,” he said. “Let us be proud of the West’s profiling of us as ‘terrorists’, for this is no allegation; it is a badge of honor.”
Along with addressing al-Qaeda in Syria, bin Laden reached out to “Muslim brothers from Indonesia to al-Maghreb and the Muslim lands that lie in between” as the fight beyond Syria “is an ordeal targeting Islam itself.”
“The enemy does not want to see Islam be established in any form. The Crusader enemy along with its Rafidhi [Shia] allies are occupying our Islamic lands bit by bit… the enemy is exerting its fullest to annihilate our people,” he added, stressing all Muslims need to “offer all kinds of help, support and encouragement” to jihadists.
An English-language al-Qaeda magazine in July encouraged westerners to leave their lands of “pointless TV shows, massive dance parties and endless fast-food restaurants” and come to Syria to fight for the terror group. The call to action came as the Islamic State’s declared caliphate is seeing its territory crumble thanks to the anti-ISIS, anti-Qaeda, anti-Assad Syrian Democratic Forces’ offensive to retake Raqqa.
Reaching out to fellow millennials in this week’s message, bin Laden told youths to “make this your motto: Either Islam shall live honorably or we shall die.”
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