TikTok is again in an uproar, but when is it not? However, what is the reason this time?
Well, it’s a subject that initially led to The Guardian deleting a letter on their site for 20 years and even resulted in a woman getting banned from Tiktok.
But what was the original fiasco?
TikToker and pro-Palestinian activist Lynette Adkins urged her followers to read Osama Bin Laden’s “Letter to America.” Bin Laden’s central point was America’s unwavering support for Israel, which he believed led to 9/11 due to aggression against Muslims and Palestinians. After immense controversy, Adkins’ account was banned, and The Guardian removed the letter from their site, which had been up since November 24, 2022.
What Is The TikTok Fiasco? What Did Lynette Adkins Say?
On TikTok, people are talking about Osama Bin Laden’s “Letter to America” again. The topic initially went viral and began to be shared and discussed on the platform when TikToker and pro-Palestinian activist Lynette Adkins posted about it about a month ago.
In the original video, she said to her thousands of followers:
“I need everyone to stop what they’re doing right now and go read- It’s literally two pages. Go read ‘A Letter to America,” and please come back here and just let me know what you think because I feel like I’m going through, like, an existential crisis right now, and a lot of people are, so I just need someone else to be feeling this.”
Back then, responses from fellow TikTokers included many commenting about how they finally knew the truth about the 9/11 incident. Shockingly, many tried justifying the actions of Osama Bin Laden because of the letter as well.
In another video, Adkins praised TikTok for being a platform that encouraged unveiling the truth and felt the previous generation was prone to misinformation. She said:
“TikTok is going to save this generation. The amount of things that we’ve learned on this app in this past month alone that other people in other generations I tried to talk to them about, they don’t understand. They don’t get it because they’ve been literally so programmed to think a certain way, TikTok is undoing all of that. It’s crazy to watch in real time.”
Later, when her TikTok created immense controversy, with many saying Adkins was justifying terrorism, she responded to it in a statement published by Fox News:
“I read the letter after some other creators shared it and was surprised because I never knew it existed. I posted it to my page so others could read it as well. I did not share the letter to promote any form of hate or violence against anyone, nor do I agree with the extremism in it.”
She further clarified that:
“I was just shocked by what I had read & wanted to have a conversation about it with my followers. I was 3 in 2001 and was always taught 9/11 happened because other people were jealous of our democracy in the U.S. Now that I’m older and am able to learn about history beyond the narrative of mainstream media, I’m realizing that there is more to the story.”
Adkins ended her statement by saying:
“I think we all deserve a right to access the information being presented to us & form our own conclusions without subscribing to extreme or radical ideologies.”
But what was said in the original letter by Bin Laden that’s still tearing the online sphere apart?
Explained: Osama Bin Laden’s “Letter to America”
In his infamous “Letter to America,” Osama bin Laden sought to justify al-Qaeda’s horrific attacks on the United States, particularly the devastating events of September 11, 2001.
One central point highlighted by bin Laden was America’s perceived unwavering support for Israel. He contended that the U.S. had allied itself with Israel to suppress and occupy the lands of the Palestinian people.
Bin Laden argued that this alliance was a catalyst for the 9/11 attacks, as it was viewed as an act of aggression against Muslims. He wrote:
“They threw hundreds of thousands of soldiers against us and have formed an alliance with the Israelis to oppress us and occupy our land; that was the reason for our response on the eleventh.”
Bin Laden went on to assert that the creation and sustenance of Israel constituted a grave crime, with America being accused of playing a leading role in this wrongdoing. He wrote:
“The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals. And of course there is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution towards this crime must pay its price, and pay for it heavily.”
Additionally, bin Laden propagated an anti-semitic narrative, insinuating Jewish control over media, economy, and policy.
After the “Letter to America” began trending, TikTok banned Adkins’ account, and The Guardian removed the letter from their site after it had been there since November 24, 2022. Adkins said after this:
“The letter was taken off of the Guardian’s site after being on there for over 20 years. My TikTok was banned as of this morning, & many people who are sharing the letter are getting their videos removed as well. If we live in a true democracy, I think we should be allowed to have open & peaceful conversations about what’s happening in the world.”
This letter and the current TikTok conversations happening again in light of the current Palestine-Israel conflict remain a haunting reminder of the complexities surrounding terrorism and global politics in the modern world.
Which side of the conversation are you on? Do you think TikTok banning Lynette Adkins’ account was right? Should the intent of the terrorist who masterminded 9/11 be questioned?
Let us know your thoughts on this complicated issue in the comments below.
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