Happy Birthday, Osama bin Laden

– But Shari'a Doesn't Recognize Western Birthday Celebrations. Via Memri.

The London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that tomorrow is Osama bin Laden's 50th birthday. Egyptian Islamist Hani Al-Siba'i, director of the Al-Maqrizi Center in London, said that bin Laden and his deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri did not celebrate birthdays because the custom was a Western innovation not recognized by shari'a. He added that the Western media's preoccupation with bin Laden's turning 50 was aimed at provoking him into releasing a new film, which would help them track him down.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, March 9, 2007

Is he really a pious man or could he, as I expect him to, be celebrating his birthday in an orgy of hashish and paid female company?

Read what Jane's weekly and Robert Fisk (gasp) has to say about the bearded man turning 50.