New Delhi: Former al Qaida chief Osama bin Laden shared a very complex relationship with his children and taught his sons to survive in extreme terrain, perhaps preparing them early on for a life on the run.
According to American writer Jean Sasson who interviewed Laden's first wife Najwa and her son Omar for a biography, although "Osama deeply loved his children, yet his ideas of making his children (particularly his sons) tough, was a true hardship for the boys."
Laden, who was killed by elite US forces in Pakistan, reportedly took a personal interest in every aspect of his children's lives, Sasson told IBNLive in an interview.
Sasson's biography 'Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World' is a valuable glimpse into the personal life of the world’s most elusive terrorist, both repulsed and revered as the man who helped defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
"He wanted his children to be strong, pious, and able to live under tremendous hardship. I feel that he was too stern, but in their culture, the fathers are often very stern. Osama took it to new lengths, however," she said.
The children shared a very complicated relationship with their father.
"Osama made a big point of teaching his sons to hike in dangerous territory, and to learn to survive without anything. While I find Omar to be a gentle and kind person, I can assure you that he is a very tough man who could take care of himself and his entire family," she said.
The boys went to public school in Saudi Arabia and to a good school in Khartoum, Sudan. The girls did not go to school although they were taught at the home. Two of Osama's wives were highly educated and used their skills to educate the girls.
But Najwa often relaxed Laden’s strict rules for his children inside the four walls of his home.
"She worried for her children as any mother would worry. I asked her once if she regretted not intervening when Omar was having such a horrible time at school as he was being bullied by the teachers and by the other students. She simply answered, 'Yes'," Sasson said.
"Like any mother, she was there for her children. She provided them with a safe home inside the walls of her home. She was a kindly mother and was courageous in that she overlooked a lot of the rules that Osama had made for the children," she said.
According to Sasson, Omar was Laden's fourth born son whom he had decided would take over his businesses. Omar was very observant of his father, more than any of his other children.
When a young boy, Omar worshipped his father and wanted his full attention, the author said. As Omar grew older, he still loved his father, but slowly came to see that he did not agree with him.
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