Osama bin Laden has issued a new statement urging Muslims to bury their differences and unite to fight the "external enemy," according to a report published Sunday in a London-based Arabic newspaper.
Asharq Al-Awsat said the statement, written in Arabic, was 26 pages long and signed by bin Laden. Islamic sources in London told the daily it was written a few weeks ago.
The newspaper added bin Laden had issued the statement in a letter via the Centre for Islamic Research and Studies in Pakistan. It said the letter was obtained by its journalist Mohammed El-Shafaie.
"When will muslims wake up from their long sleep and when will they distinguish between their friend and enemy," Asharq Al-Awsat quoted bin Laden as saying. "When will they direct their own arrows that they use to fight each other to their external enemy that steals and loots its fortunes and its resources."
The letter said, "the current situation Muslims are living in requires a deployment of all efforts to fight the Islamic battle against the crusader coalition, which has revealed its real, evil intentions."
"Their target now is Islam and Muslims and not only the (Middle East) region," the letter added.
The statement urged Muslims to "wake from their deep sleep ... and stop (acting as) rivals." (Albawaba.com)
