Osama bin Laden: Why one in five of Gen Z has positive view of Al Qaeda terrorist?

Why do some Americans hold positive views on Al Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden, who was responsible for the 9/11 attack in which more than 3,000 US citizens were killed? It may appear bizarre, but a new poll shows that one out of five younger Americans has a positive view of Osama bin Laden. It also shows that various age groups hold differing views about the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Completely positive view?

The poll was conducted by DailyMail.com. The opinion survey also found that three in 10 members of Generation Z thought the views of bin Laden were a 'force for good'. When asked how they would describe their view of bin Laden, 8% of 18-to-29-year-olds said they had a completely positive view, while 12% said they had a somewhat positive view.

Saudi-born Osama Bin Laden was head of Al Qaeda, which hijacked commercial planes and used them to attack the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon and other targets in Pennsylvania. In a clandestine operation, the U.S. special forces killed him in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad in 2011.

Osama's letter goes viral

The opinion poll was conducted a month after a 2002 letter written by the terrorist leader went viral on TikTok. Some younger people said the letter made them look at the U.S. government in a new way related to conflicts in the Middle East.

Most of the older US citizens reacted harshly to the younger generation’s views on the letter. Some of them said that most of Gen Z wasn't even alive for the tragic events in 2001, so they wouldn’t understand the impact that it had. Generation Z is defined as people born between 1996 and 2010.

Gen Z members' views

Among Gen Z members in the survey, 8% said both the al-Qaeda leader’s views and actions were good, while 23% said his views were good but his actions were bad.

For Black voters, 7% said they had a completely positive view of Osama, while 11% said they had a somewhat positive view. In the poll, 9% of Hispanic voters had a positive view of the terrorist, while 6% had a somewhat positive view. The numbers for White voters were lower, with 3% saying they had a positive view and 3% having a somewhat positive view.

FAQs:

How the younger generation has reacted to the opinion poll on Osama Bin Laden?
Among Gen Z members in the survey, 8% said both the al-Qaeda leader’s views and actions were good, while 23% said his views were good but his actions were bad.

How have the older people reacted to the result of the opinion poll?
Most of the older US citizens reacted harshly to the younger generation’s views on the letter. Some of them said that most of Gen Z wasn't even alive for the tragic events in 2001, so they wouldn’t understand the impact that it had. Generation Z is defined as people born between 1996 and 2010.