Osama Bush, George Laden

I have news for all those who believe that the world is today divided into two neat categories: the Barbarians and the Civilised. Well, Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush share the same speechwriter. How else could they have come up with identical sermons which, apart from some culture-specific variations, shared the same resonances, meanings, words.

To elaborate on this fine point, let us do a quick content analysis of bin Laden’s videotaped statement from behind a beard somewhere in the mountain ranges of Afghanistan last week and George W’s oration delivered from the Treaty Room of the White House last Sunday.

Both individuals, if you will notice, claimed to have a personal line to God — a Merciful, Peace-loving God, incidentally — one who appears to have personally and expressly blessed their respective missions to blast, pulverise and pound the Other into non-existence.‘‘May God’s peace and blessing be upon him and his kin and companions,’’ pronounced bin Laden sanctimoniously. ‘‘May God continue to bless America,’’ said George W, as if he were in Sunday school.

Both bin Laden and Bush described their blood-and-guts project in terms of a great quest, the exercising of a collective will to save humanity from the imprecations of the evil ones. Listen to bin Laden: ‘‘Here we are living under this crusader shelling that targets the entire nation. The nation should know that we have a just cause. Here is the Islamic nation groaning for more than 80 years under the weight of the joint Jewish-crusader aggression’’. Now listen to Bush: ‘‘The USA is an enemy of those who aid terrorists and of the barbaric criminals who profane a great religion by committing murder in his name. This military action is part of our campaign against terrorism...Given the nature and reach of our enemies, we will win this conflict...’’

Not surprisingly, both men had words of praise for the foot soldiers of their respective missions. Take bin Laden: ‘‘Those youth who destroyed America and launched the storm of aeroplanes, they did good by taking the battle to the heart of America...In this nation there are thousands of youth who are keen on death as Americans are keen on life’’. Take George W: ‘‘We ask a lot of those who wear our uniform...They are dedicated. They are honorable. They represent the best of our country, and we are grateful. To all the men and women in our military, every sailor, every soldier, every airman, every Coast Guardsman, every Marine, I say this: ‘‘Your mission is defined...Your goal is just.’’

One man believes in uniting Islamic nations behind him, the other, in bringing the ‘civilised nations’ of the world together. Said bin Laden: ‘‘I direct this message to the entire Muslim nation and say that ranks have united against the nation of Islam.’’ Said George W: ‘‘We are joined in this operation by our staunch friend, Great Britain. Other close friends, including Canada, Australia, Germany and France, have pledged forces as the operation unfolds...’’

As for punishment, both men promised an exemplary response. Hear bin Laden’s hate speech: ‘‘Let them know that by invading the land of Afghanistan they have opened a new page of enmity and conflict between us and infidel forces...The Americans have opened on themselves a door that will not close under any circumstance.’’ As for Bush, his words descended like missiles: ‘‘On my order the United States military has begun strikes against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.’’

Both had little doubt that they occupied the moral high ground. Bin Laden put it this way: ‘‘Finally, I praise God the Almighty who towers above all, who led us on the right path to this jihad, and who led us on the right path to this contest, this decisive battle between infidels and believers. I ask God, who is superior above all and greater than all, to give us victory against our enemy.’’ George W put it this way: ‘‘Since September 11, an entire generation of young Americans has gained a new understanding of the value of freedom and its cost and duty and its sacrifice. The battle is now joined on many fronts. We will not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail.’’

These are difficult times. On September 11, we watched TV screens burst into a screaming mangled mass of rubble and we thought we knew who the barbarians were. Last week, as they sent their Cruises missile, bunker busters and cluster munitions — some valued at $2 million a piece — from B2 bombers, valued at $2 billion a piece, to pound an entire country in the name of ‘defending civilisation’, we were no longer sure who the barbarians were. This is no clash of civilisations, it seems. It is a clash of barbarianisms.

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