There had one great poet in Kerala, Vayalar Ramavarma who wrote ‘the truth in the world is been covered with a plate of gold’. The poet is no more, but the truth he told still lives. I was little skeptical to buy the book, ‘Growing Up Bin Laden’ written by Najwa Bin Laden (Osama Bin Laden’s first wife), Omar Bin Laden (Osama’s fourth child in the first wife) and Jean Sasson, a famous American author believing the poet on the one hand and the high price on the other. Thanks to Tanna, I bought the book and I don’t repent.
The book ‘Growing up Bin Laden’ raises more questions than it answered. Still, let me share some of the observations/opinion from/on the book.
1.Osama Bin Laden was born to a 50 year old father in a 14 year old mother, who got divorced after 2 years. He was bought up by his step father. God hear the cry of Ismail. Don’t he? Growing up bin laden gives an account of how the father denied the care of a father to many of his children to the point, asking them to volunteer to become suicide bombers and do you forget the Isaac?
2.When there is somebody dedicating their life for a larger cause, their families are supposes to pay the price. Growing up Bin Laden gives the account of sufferings Osama Bin Laden’s wives had to undergo. Then, the book only gives the account of one wife’s suffering where it is mute to the sufferings of the other wives. While saying that there had only the sister wives to share the agonies, the book keeps a complete mum on the thoughts or the suffering of the sister wives. Thanks to the short memory syndrome, the book is more detail when events are more past.
3.The book gives two accounts on one person and events related to it. There are noticeable contradications in many cases. While one complaint about the meager provisions, the other talks about getting training in tanks and hiring large planes. One talks about a night wanderer where the other keeps mum. We are told about a good olden days in the mountain by the comrades, but the good olden days was not visible anywhere in the book. And lot more! The editors should have taken little more care?
4.95 percent of the book is been told by not grown up Bin Laden. Omar whose account is a bit more open is always confirms that he was a child and that is true and understandable. The mother on the other hand talks sweet things about the husband and ‘the selected child’ but gives an image of a surrendered wife, understandable. Then, I wonder why the authors wanted to feed big talk to the not grown ups? You get a complete narration of the incidents which lead to the Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait from a 10 year old boy and the Al Qaeda operation details from a 15 year old!
5.The book invites a lot of controversies and it conveniently skipped all important areas of controversies. The events in 1979, the support of west to Taliban forces against the Soviet etc. Understandable. Then, the best of missed point is the motivation for publishing such a book, especially when the first wife says she is not been divorced by Osama Bin Laden. What then motivated them to open their ‘hearts’ to the press? Is it a confirmation of the rumors? The book is quite mum on it.
6.The book is easily convertible to a film script with some editing. There is good account of romance, comedy and fun filled in the right places, no need to mention about action and violence. Let it be children mock play with grenades and people trying to escape and squeezed at the door, People assuming Oman Bin Laden to a Ghost, or the children asking Begger woman to become wives of Osama Bin Laden, there are good number of ‘masala’ added. The entry of Mulla Omar is too good and the translation funny. You can have an overnight ride by a 15 years old to claim his much younger bride, a 5 year old child’s cry for his mother in the climax and lot more!!
7.The writers applied symbolism frequently which only an intelligent reader can absorb. Wherever there are animals or birds are mentioned, it has a double reference. The authors give some direct clues in the beginning stage but later they left it to the imagination of the readers. Some references are objectionable where others are a pity. There are ‘slumdogs’ still bark around…
The book was interesting in the beginning with a good flow of events and some heart connections. Then, the book turned to be a funny act by the end and a propaganda leaflet in conclusion.
With all respect to the authors, the book is one to be read with a warning that some incidents mentioned in the book may be wrong and written with a purpose. Still, I recommend the book (preferably from a library) to those who are eager to know more but this is not a book to get influenced by.
The price of the book is much on the higher side, i.e. AED115/- (Approx: $25/- or Rs1, 300/- I should have waited for the paperback edition) and by the end of the book I felt I overpaid for it. Then, I got a consolation that a part of profit will go for education. My new worry is that the money doesn’t go for a wrong education which I don’t support. The book preaches for peace at the end. I wished the publishers reduced the price of the book and promoted ‘peace’ instead then, may be the ‘peace’ is not the same as I dream! So, let it be!!
My rating: 2.5 stars