[Islamabad] French authorities have permanently banned Osama bin Laden’s son, Omar bin Laden, from reentering the country.
Newly appointed French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced the permanent ban on Tuesday. Omar had been living in Orne, France until October of last year, when his residency permit was revoked following a social media post he made glorifying terrorism.
This move comes as France takes a tougher stance on immigration and security issues.
Retailleau is renowned for his strong stance on law and order. He was chosen for the ministry as part of the government’s initiative to implement stricter immigration controls and tackle crime concerns following the recent legislative elections.
Omar posted the inflammatory message in May 2023 on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. The post was a tribute to his father, the architect of the September 11 attacks, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of his death.
The X account that published the post was subsequently suspended, and French authorities placed Omar under formal investigation.
According to French media reports, Omar did not delete or condemn the post, although he did deny that he was the post’s author.
The 43-year-old Omar bin Laden has reportedly resided in Qatar since the October 2023 cancellation of his French residency permit.
He sought to challenge the decision through a lawyer while in exile, but a French court upheld the ruling last week. In defending the decision, the court emphasized the importance of safeguarding national security.
Le Monde, France’s leading newspaper, said that Omar is apparently struggling with psychological issues. Omar’s close friend Pascal Martin said that he and Omar’s wife chose not to tell him about the permanent ban.
He’s too fragile; if he finds out, it will hurt him a lot
“He’s too fragile; if he finds out, it will hurt him a lot,” Martin told Agence France-Presse.
Martin described the decision as “completely crazy” and “inconceivable,” noting that Omar has had a difficult life and is “the victim of terrorism.”
Omar, who was born in Saudi Arabia, spent his early years in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Afghanistan, where his father had deep ties to the global jihadist movement.
He distanced himself from his father’s ideology and left the family at 19, seeking a different path.
After living in various countries, Omar settled in the northern French region of Normandy in 2016. There, he pursued a career in painting, specializing in landscape portraits. He obtained a residency permit in the country through his British wife Zaina Muhammad—known as Jane Felix-Browne before her marriage.
According to media reports, Omar had previously expressed a desire to live with his wife in the United Kingdom. British authorities rejected his request, likely due to his family background and potential security risks.
His father Osama bin Laden was the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, which drastically altered global counterterrorism policies.
The expulsion of Omar bin Laden from France highlights ongoing concerns in European countries about the potential risks posed by individuals with ties to extremist networks, even if they have distanced themselves from those ideologies.
As the French government moves toward stricter immigration policies, it’s determined to act decisively in matters it deems to pose a threat to national security. This is especially true following the surprising report that Osama bin Laden’s eldest son, Hamza bin Laden, is alive and active in al-Qaida.
In 2019, US media reported that Hamza had been killed in a CIA airstrike. But the British tabloid The Mirror reported last month that Hamza was alive and helping revive al-Qaida in Afghanistan.
Hamza and his older half-brother Abdallah bin Laden are reportedly overseeing training camps in Afghanistan that prepare fighters and suicide bombers for attacks.
The Mirror also reported that al-Qaida may be working with the South-Central Asian branch of the Islamic State group, known as IS-KP. That collaboration is raising fears of 9/11-style attacks on Western nations.
France’s decision to expel Omar reflects growing international concerns about the resurgence of al-Qaida. Hamza’s potential return to a leadership role in the organization has added to the urgency for Western nations to address potential security risks.
Paris-based analyst Muhammad Bilal told The Media Line that the ban on Omar’s reentrance to France reflects a broader Western apprehension regarding the reemergence of al-Qaida.
The rise of Hamza bin Laden amplifies fears of a more organized and potentially lethal al-Qaida resurgence
“The rise of Hamza bin Laden amplifies fears of a more organized and potentially lethal al-Qaida resurgence, which further complicates the security landscape,” he said.
France is increasingly willing to proactively confront perceived security threats, Bilal said.
He drew attention to the balance European authorities must strike between safeguarding national security and upholding individual liberties.
“While these actions are aimed at ensuring national security, they also prompt essential discussions about civil liberties and the implications of guilt by association,” he said.
European countries are reworking their counterterrorism strategies in light of evolving threats, Bilal said. He added that countries shouldn’t overlook the importance of addressing poverty and promoting community resilience as part of that effort.
“As Europe navigates this complex landscape, policymakers must balance stringent security measures with efforts to promote social cohesion to ensure long-term stability,” he said.
Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism in London and a research fellow at the Soufan Center, told The Media Line that European countries are increasingly vigilant against “the growing jihadist threat.”
European and Western nations are now on high alert due to the heightened risk from groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida
“European and Western nations are now on high alert due to the heightened risk from groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida,” he said, noting that the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has also increased online radicalization efforts.
He said that several people in the West were successfully radicalized by the Islamic State group and IS-KP since October 7, 2023, leading to multiple terror attacks.
“Al-Qaida has adeptly exploited technology and social media for its objectives,” Webber added. “The group’s branch in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP, has been notably aggressive, frequently publishing calls for attacks and sharing bomb-making materials online.”
Western nations need to take coordinated action against these threats, Webber said. He said that Western counterterrorism strategies need to include responding to immediate threats, tackling online propaganda, and building stronger communities.
“Fostering community resilience and promoting social cohesion are essential for disrupting the recruitment strategies of these extremist groups,” he said.
The same day that France announced the ban on Omar bin Laden’s reentry to the country, Italy ordered the deportation of a Pakistani imam known for his pro-Hamas stance.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi signed the deportation order for Bologna-based Imam Zulfiqar Khan on Tuesday.
According to the Italian media outlet L’Unione Sarda, Khan, 54, was expelled from Italy for reasons of state security. Police said that he “promoted a fundamentalist interpretation of jihad” and maintained “contacts with individuals linked to ultraradical Islam.” He had also allegedly expressed support for Hamas.
In his statement, Piantedosi highlighted Khan’s increasing fanaticism, pointing to statements of his that were anti-Western, antisemitic, misogynistic, and homophobic. Khan also reportedly told his coreligionists not to pay taxes, arguing that their resources should remain within the Muslim community.