THE GUARDIAN: Omar bin Laden says he would 'like to be in a position to promote peace' in interview in which he recalls hearing about 9/11 attacks
Having a famous father is not always easy: the burden of expectation can weigh heavily on young shoulders. So what to do when your surname is Bin Laden?
In an interview with the New Statesman, Omar bin Laden, the fourth eldest son of the world's most wanted man, reveals himself as someone definitely not cut from the same cloth as his father.
Asked whether he plans to enter politics or public life, Omar says: "I do not believe that I would be a good politician – I have a habit of speaking the truth, even when it does not serve me well. But I would like to be in a position to promote peace. I believe that the United Nations would be ideal for me."
Omar ended contact with his father, Osama bin Laden, in April 2001. He says he was asked once to take up arms at a meeting with his father's fighters.
"His sons were in attendance, although none of us was a fighter," Omar says. "He spoke of how it is a great honour to give one's life for Islam and said anyone who wanted to give their life should put their name on a paper in the mosque.
"He never asked me to join al-Qaida, but he did tell me I was the son chosen to carry on his work. He was disappointed when I said I was not suited to that life. I do not like disagreement or violence." >>> Mark Tran | Wednesday, November 18, 2009
