Riyadh: A tweet from an account purportedly belonging to Omar bin Laden, the son of Al-Qaeda's deceased founder Osama bin Laden, which praises his father's bravery and endorses Osama's death as martyrdom, has sparked outrage among Twitter users in Saudi Arabia who called out for entertaining such tweets that glorify terrorism against their policy.
Despite the platform's rules against promoting terrorism and violent extremism, the tweet remains on the site, prompting criticism from users who are calling for stricter enforcement of Twitter's policies, according to The Arab News.
In the tweet, which was shared on the anniversary of his father's death, Omar praised Osama bin Laden and referred to him as a martyr.
The tweet read, "History is only written with the blood of such people - to tell the stories of those martyrs who made history, built nations, and brought about glory. Their blood is the lifeline of our faith until the Day of Judgment. May you rest in peace."
However, the tweet was met with a wave of condemnation from social media users across the Arab world. Many users criticized Al-Qaeda's violent ideology and the actions of Osama bin Laden, who is widely considered responsible for numerous terrorist attacks, including the 9/11 attacks in the US.
As per Twitter's policy on terrorism, "any accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks" will be removed, even if the person has not been confirmed as a member of a terrorist organization or any other violent and hateful entity, nor do they have any official affiliation with any group, organization, or ideology.
One Twitter user from Saudi Arabia said, "Your father was lost, and he led many astray. He has the blood of innocent people on his hands. He distorted the Prophet's hadiths and misinterpreted Qur'anic verses to justify the killing of our children, leaders, and soldiers - this is a great sin."
Another user from Kuwait said, "The massacres and follies committed by your father, which he described as 'jihad,' gave the West a reason to oppress Muslims around the world. Look at how he destroyed Afghanistan. The bloodshed he started never stopped, and these are sins that he and the likes of him will always carry. May you and your father get what you deserve."
Others cited the September 11 attacks on the US, which were carried out by Al-Qaeda militants in 2001, as well as the terrorist group's crimes in the Middle East and Africa. Responding to Omar bin Laden's tweet, a Twitter user named Sonia said, "Your father killed 2,977 innocent people in New York in one day. Your father killed 60 people and maimed 115 others in one hour Omar bin Laden's tweet praising his father's martyrdom sparks anger on Saudi Twitter the Amman bombings (of 2005). Your father killed hundreds in Iraq, Yemen, Africa, and other places. Until today, he is responsible for the killing taking place because he ignited all (the terrorism) we see today. Your father is a terrorist, not a martyr."
Mohammed Al-Rouqi, a Twitter user from Saudi Arabia, accused Osama bin Laden of attempting to frame Saudi Arabia for the 9/11 attacks by collaborating with adversaries. He said, "What glory did (your father) create? He targeted Muslims in Saudi Arabia and collaborated with the enemies of Muslims. Those who made your father made others, and your father and his likes have brought calamities on Muslim countries and gave Americans the right to invade Afghanistan."
Despite Twitter's policy against promoting terrorism and violent extremism, Omar bin Laden's tweet and account remained active on the platform. The Arab News reported that some social media users have called for Twitter to take action and remove the account, arguing that it promotes a dangerous and harmful ideology.