The statement issued by Al-Qa`idah (or Qa`idah of Jihad--General Command, as it calls itself) reveals something to me: it reveals a new man (certainly not a woman). There is a new literary style that I have not read before. Certainly it is not the language of Aymand Adh-Dhawahiri. The statement talks about a future audio message from Bin Laden and concludes with three lines of poetry that it said that Bin Laden concluded his message with:
"فقول الحق للطاغي --- هو العز هو البشرى
هو الدربُ إلى الدنيا --- هو الدربُ إلى الأخرى
فإن شئتَ فمتْ عبداً --- وإن شئتَ فمت حرّا"
"فقول الحق للطاغي --- هو العز هو البشرى
هو الدربُ إلى الدنيا --- هو الدربُ إلى الأخرى
فإن شئتَ فمتْ عبداً --- وإن شئتَ فمت حرّا"
(Speaking the truth to the tyrant, it is dignity it is (good) omen
It is path to life, and to afterlife
If you wish, die a slave, or die free, if you wish)
Who told Bin Laden that he is a poet? And who toled Saddam and Qadhdhafi that they are novelists? Bin Laden insisted on writing poetry, as bad as it was. It does not even reflect classical poetry, but modern (but not too modern, a la free verse movement). I say that he is influenced by Egyptian poets of the early 20th century, people like Ahmad Shawqi (although he has none of this talents). But this statement by Al-Qa`idah has a new literary influence. There is a new person writing now, I feel. The statement concludes with a warning to the American regarding any abuse of the body of Bin Laden. Somebody needs to tell them that is body has been already tossed into the water. The statement states that Bin Laden was not a prophet but then compares him to the prophet and to the rightly-guided caliphs.
