Guardian’s Unusual Move: Deleting Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ Amid TikTok Uproar
The Guardian took a surprising step on Wednesday by removing a 21-year-old letter penned by Osama bin Laden from its website. This decision followed a surge in popularity on TikTok, where users encouraged their followers to read the al Qaeda leader’s missive titled “Letter to America.”
Now, visitors to The Guardian’s site are greeted with a notice stating, “This page previously displayed a document containing, in translation, the full text of Osama bin Laden’s ‘Letter to the American people,’ as reported in the Observer on Sunday 24 November 2002. The document, which was published here on the same day, was removed on 15 November 2023.”
In response to inquiries, a spokesperson for the UK-based publication explained, “The transcript published on our website 20 years ago has been widely shared on social media without the full context. Therefore, we have decided to take it down and direct readers to the news article that originally contextualized it instead.”
The Guardian’s article — Osama issues new call to arms
One of the notable points discussed on TikTok is bin Laden’s assertion in the letter that the events of September 11, 2001, occurred due to America’s support of Israel. The trend on TikTok appears to have originated with a video by Lynnette Adkins, who implored her nearly 12 million followers to read the letter, stating, “I feel like I’m going through an existential crisis right now.”
Responses from other TikTok users include expressions like “my eyes have been opened,” and another user noted, “We’ve been lied to our entire lives; I remember watching people cheer when Osama was found and killed.”
In a subsequent video, Adkins claimed that “TikTok is going to save this generation” because older individuals are “programmed to think a certain way.”
Trending searches on TikTok during this period included phrases like “Osama letter to America summary,” “a letter to America full text,” and “a letter to America explained.”
The resurgence of bin Laden’s anti-Israel message coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing allegations of war crimes in Gaza. Tensions in the Middle East escalated on October 7 following a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians, resulting in over 1,400 casualties.
Global clashes between Israel and Palestine supporters have unfolded in the aftermath of the Hamas attack and Israel’s military response. Notably, a confrontation in Los Angeles resulted in the death of a Jewish man who sustained a head injury during an alleged altercation with a Palestinian supporter. Celebrities, including former United Nations Goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, have joined calls for a ceasefire in the region.
