Osama bin Laden's artist son kicked out of France for praising father
Omar bin Laden, the artist son of Osama bin Laden, has been banned from France over social media comments that authorities said constituted "an apology for terrorism".
Omar, 43, lived in Orne, in the Normandy region, for several years, where he worked as a painter. He was born in Saudi Arabia, and has previously lived in Sudan and Afghanistan.
His father was the founder of al-Qaeda, the group that orchestrated the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States. Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by US special forces in May 2011.
On Tuesday, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that authorities in Orne had "obtained the departure" of Omar bin Laden.
"Mr bin Laden, who has lived in Orne for several years as the spouse of a British national, posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that were an apology for terrorism," Retailleau wrote on X.
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"The courts have confirmed the regularity of this decision taken for national security. The administrative ban on the territory guarantees that Mr bin Laden will not be able to return to France for any reason whatsoever."
The social media comments in question refer to a tweet posted on 2 May 2023, appearing to praise his father on the anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death.
A now-suspended account named @OmarBinLadin1 posted: "History is written only with the blood of these people – to tell the story of these martyrs who made history, built nations and brought glory. Their blood is the lifeline of our faith until the day of judgment. Rest in peace.”
According to French site Le Publicateur Libre, Omar bin Laden was indicted for condoning terrorism after the tweet was published, before being released and subsequently deported.
The 43-year-old reportedly began painting during the Covid-19 lockdown. He regularly exhibits his works, which fetch between 800 and 2,000 euros a piece.
After learning of the killing of Osama bin Laden by American commandos in Pakistan's Abbottabad, Omar denounced to the New York Times the "arbitrary execution" of his father, regretting that he had not been tried.
“Arbitrary execution is not a solution to political problems,” he wrote in a statement, questioning “the decency of such an assassination where […] international law was openly violated”.
At the time, he said that he had been “at odds with his father and violence of any kind” and had always “urged” the al-Qaeda leader to “change”.
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