Osama Bin Laden’s Son Banned from Re-Entering France
In a move aimed at combating extremism, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has announced that Omar Bin Laden, the 43-year-old son of the notorious al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, will be permanently barred from re-entering France.
The decision comes after Omar’s residency permit was revoked for two years in 2023 due to social media posts that “glorified terrorism”. According to French media, the posts in question marked the anniversary of his father’s death. Retailleau stated that Omar’s actions were incompatible with French values and posed a threat to national security.
Omar had been living in Normandy, northern France, since 2016, where he earned a living as a landscape painter. He obtained his residency permit through his marriage to UK citizen Zaina Mohamed Al-Sabah, born Jane Felix-Browne.
Omar has publicly renounced his father’s extremist ideology, leaving his father’s side in 2000 after training at jihadist camps in Afghanistan. However, he has faced criticism for being an apologist for Osama’s actions. In his 2009 memoir, Omar described his father as a “kind” man who followed a strict religious and moral code.
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Friends of Omar have defended him, with Pascal Martin, who helped Omar sell his paintings, stating that he had “totally renounced radical Islamism”. Martin told Reuters, “We became friends, and I can tell you that nothing that is being said resembles the Omar.
Retailleau’s move has sparked controversy, with critics labeling his appointment as a sign of the “reactionary right taking power”. Retailleau has vowed to lower immigration and “fight political Islam” since taking office in September.
The ban has raised questions about the balance between national security and individual freedoms. As France continues to grapple with extremism, Retailleau’s decision is seen as a stern message against those who promote or glorify terrorism.9
Osama Bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011. Omar, his fourth-oldest son, has lived in various countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia. His brother, Hamza Bin Laden, was also designated as a global terrorist by the US and was reportedly killed in 2019.