“Western and Arab news organizations today [November 1, 2001] received copies of a letter handwritten in Arabic, carrying Osama bin Laden’s signature, that urges Pakistan’s Muslims to defend Islam against what it called a Christian crusade. The message accused the Pakistani government of ‘standing under the banner of the cross while Muslims are being slaughtered in Afghanistan,’ according to the television station Al Jazeera, which said the letter had been delivered to its office in the Afghan capital, Kabul. ‘Supporters of Islam,’ the letter said, ‘this is your day to support Islam.’ ”
– Susan Sachs, “Bin Laden Letter Calls Upon Pakistanis to Defend Islam,” The New York Times, Nov. 2, 2001