> > From: Dmitri Gusev <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: : Author of bin Laden's "Mein > > Kampf" Russian-born? > > > > A couple of weeks ago I asked a friend of mine, Russian > > writer and Afghan war veteran Vladimir Grigoriev to find out if "The > > Foundation", a 1951 sci-fi bestseller by Isaac Asimov, a well-known > American > > author and scientist, was translated and published in Arabic, and if so, > > under what title? Yesterday, I learned that my friend contacted his > > former professor Olga Frolova, currently the Chair of the Arab > > Philology Department, School of Oriental Languages, St. Petersburg State > > University, and she confirmed that the book was published in > > Arabic as "Al Qaeda", the title matching the name of the international > > terrorist network founded and headed by Osama bin Laden. (The Western > > media usually translates "Al Qaeda" back as "The Base", as if a base > > of terrorists were been referred to.) > > > > This peculiar coincidence would be of little interest if > > not for abundant parallels between the plot of Asimov's book and the > events > > unfolding now. The central character of "The Foundation" named Seldon, > > the pioneer of a new scientific discipline called "psychohistory", > > predicts that the Galactic Empire is about to fall. While the process > > of disintegration cannot not be stopped, Seldon decides to send an > > expedition to a remote place on the outskirts of the Galaxy and > > establish The Foundation, which is to become the nucleus of the next > > Empire. Even though the Old Empire tries to destroy The Foundation > > with its superior military might, Seldon's plan eventually works > > despite many predicted difficulties and occasional random hiccups.
> > Seldon does not live long enough to see the triumph of his cause, but > > he leaves videotaped messages at a machine timed to broadcast them to > > his followers and instruct them at the turning points of The > > Foundation's history, as his forecasts are coming true. > > > > I think the public would be relieved to realize that the > > internationally feared Terrorist No. 1 is trying to mimic a scenario > > from his favorite science fiction novel. I also believe that the study > > of "The Foundation" (along with its sequels and prequels) can help > > the decision makers around the globe to better understand what they're > > up against and what the ultimate objectives of Osama bin Laden are, > > much in the same way a study of "Mein Kampf" would have benefited > > Adolf Hitler's counterparts a great deal if they bothered to read the > > book and paid attention to what it said. > > > > Isaac Asimov, a famous Jewish-American author and > > researcher, was born January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi, Russia, on the > > territory of the present day Belarus. He died April 6, 1992, in New York, > > New York, > > several months before the first attack struck the World Trade Center > > on February 26, 1993. > > > > Hey Bin, I guess you gotta change your organization name now. Laurent
