THE EXCEPTIONALISM OF OSAMA BIN LADEN’S WIVES

Abstract

This paper’s main goal was to assess, based on the analyses carried out, if Osama bin Laden’s wives enjoyed a special status within Al-Qaeda as a result of their husband’s rank and status. In other words, this paper examined if it is justifiable to infer the occurrence of exceptionalism or a detachment from religiously and socially predefined gender limitations, thanks to being married to the leader. The main methods used to examine this hypothesis were historical and content analysis, which provided verified premises, and the deductive method, which allowed for the construction of a sound argument that addresses the paper’s research question. This paper’s conclusion is not unequivocal.

Keywords

• al-qaeda
• islam
• osama bin laden
• osama bin laden’s wives
• war on terror
• women in al-qaeda