ABSTRACT
This chapter explains that until his death in 2011, Osama Bin Laden was a prominent figure in the world media. Portrayals of him have differed considerably, however, and these differences form the background to my interest in the al-Qaeda leader. Bin Laden's texts are typical examples of political rhetoric, arguing against other politicians in this case the President of the USA and again in this case, exploiting people's feelings of doubt about a new beginning. A mujahid is a person conducting jihad, and the representation of Bin Laden as such is a reference back to the 1980s, when he took part with other mujahidinin combat against the Soviet army in Afghanistan. Scheuer writes that Bin Laden had a substantial knowledge of Islamic history, and a strong sense that he was acting out a role in a historical process that had been under way for more than 14 centuries.
