访谈录 2008-02-12&02-13

To make the point, Omar and his wife Zaina are organizing a horse race later this year,hoping to cross Northern Africa with a message of peace. But finding sponsors is difficult when your last name is Bin 1 Laden 2.

Zaina: “It would have probably been easier to do a race without having Omar's name but then the race would be just a race . It wouldn’t be a race for peace.”

It is a big unknown: Can this son rebrand a name his father has made synonymous with terror.

Newswoman: Aneesh Raman is joining us now live from Cairo. Aneesh, fascinating story. I do wonder, though, why doesn’t he think his father as a terrorist.

Aneesh: Yeah, I pushed him on that height, how can you condemn 3 someone’s tactics and not condemn the man. Omar says ‘Look, it’s a false title back when Osama Bin Laden was fighting the Soviets 4. At that time many in the West regarded him as a hero. Of course 911 changed that--undoubtedly perhaps forever, linking the Bin Laden name with mass murder. He also, Omar said that the key issue here is that the religious clerics around his father continued to give him the religious justification 5 to kill civilians 6. Omar says he does not believe Islam allowed that. And what needs to happen is that clerics and also Arab leaders througout the Middle East need to stand up forcefully condemn what Osama Bin Laden is doing and forcefully say this is not Islam Height.

Newswoman: Yeah absolutely, we know his father though Osama Bin Laden as you just mentioned does have some support. Does Omar have supporters in what he is trying to do?”

Aneesh: Yeah it was funny we asked him and his wife what life is like and perhaps the most engaging response is when they talked about how difficult it is to make friends. And at first people get to know him and then people disappear for a period of time out of fear or even associate him with the Bin Laden , then, er eventually some come back. I think he has some support. He is trying to introduce himself as different from his father.I asked him as well that does he feel himself at danger or at risk of Al-Qaeda turning on him as a traitor 8. He said “look, you know if I am to die that’s up to God. I can’t do anything. He is very sort of shy, as we hear his father as well as in person. He was very laid back. His English, he just picked up in a-year-and-a-half conversation with his wife. So there is only so much he could fully 7 communicate. But you got a sense that he is stuck, it was literally 9 defined by his father, trying to change that identity, trying to be someone different. But part of a lineage that highly likely for generations to come perhaps who knows how many will never be separated from Osama Bin Laden.

Newswoman: Boy, it was a certainly fascinating story. I appreciate it. CNN's Aneesh Raman joining us live from Cairo, Egypt. Thanks so much Aneesh.