Sami ul Haq, head of a madrassa near Peshawar, Pakistan, said in a September 1998 interview: ” ‘I think America has made Osama a supernatural being. Wherever the terrorism occurs, right away they think of him. I don’t think he has such influence, or such control and resources. Osama bin Laden has become a symbol for the whole Islamic world. All those outside powers who are trying to crush Muslims interfering with them; he is the courageous one who raised his voice against them. Yes, he is a hero to us, but it is America itself who first made him a hero.’ ” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Peter Bergen, The Osama bin Laden I Know, Pages 227-228