By Bernard Haykel
July 20, 2008
Bin Laden, however, is mesmerising, framing the perceived frustrations of many Arabs in his use of classical Arabic, including the recitation of medieval-style poetry. He deliberately projects an image of himself as a leader who speaks truthfully, conveying a muscular ideology that articulates the sense of humiliation that Muslims feel today and offers a plan of action to remedy the situation. Arab culture places a high value on poetic expression, so it is no coincidence that it appears repeatedly in al Qaida's propaganda. Bin Laden often recites poetry to underscore a point and to associate himself with chivalrous and learned warriors who were willing to become martyrs for Islam's honour and glory. Here are a few lines of the kind of poetry that al Qaida uses:
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