New statement from the Shūrā Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "On the Occasion of the Great Martyr Shaykh Mujāhid Usāmah Bin Lāden"

UPDATE 5/6 3:12 PM: Here is an English translation of the statement below:
Jamadi-ul-Thani 02, 1432 A.H, Friday, May 06, 2011
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
“Among the believers, there are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. Some fulfilled their vow by death and some are still awaiting and they have not changed in the least”.
(The Holy Quran, Surah 33. “The Clans”, verse 23)
The Caller to Islamic Jihad against the invading infidels, Sheikh Osama bin Laden, embraced martyrdom as per the Will of the Almighty Allah during an abrupt attack by the American invading soldiers. (We are creation of Allah and return to Him.)
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan extends its deep condolence to the family of the martyr, to his followers and to fighter Mujahideen of the way of Truth and to the Islamic Ummah on this occasion of the great tragedy. We pray to the Almighty Allah to accept, in His Sight, the sacrifice of the martyr. May, the Almighty Allah, salvage the Islamic Ummah from the current situation of crisis due to the impact of the blessing of the sacred Jihad and martyrdom of the martyr.
The martyr took part in the Jihad against the Soviet invasion with great honesty and bravery shoulder to shoulder with the Afghans. He offered such sacrifices in this way that the history of the Islamic Ummah will for ever remain proud of. Sheikh Osama bin Laden was the ardent advocate of the legitimate cause of the first Qibla of the Muslims, the Aqsa Mosque and the occupied Palestine . He was an indefatigable fighter against the Christian and Jewish aggressions in the Islamic World and was not sparing any effort in this cause. The life of this Mujahid, who felt the antagonism against Islam, was full of fatigues, sacrifices and hardships. The history of Islam will always keep their memory alive.
The way of Jihad and the path of defense of Islam is a way fraught with sacrifices and martyrdoms. Like any other follower of this way, Sheikh Osama had been aspiring to attain martyrdom in the cause of the Almighty Allah. He reached his ambition with bravery, dedication and commitment in the last moments of his life.
If the invading Americans and their Allies wallow in this optimism that the morale and ranks of Mujahideen will weaken in Afghanistan and other occupied Islamic countries following the martyrdom of Sheikh Osama bin Laden, it will only show their lack of insight. The sapling of Jihad has always grown, spruced and reached fructification through irrigation by pure blood. The martyrdom of a martyr leads to hundreds more to head to the field of martyrdom and sacrifice.
The current Jihadic movement of Afghanistan sprouted from among the masses and is representative of the aspirations of this proud people. In this land of the braves, a strike by colonialism breeds sympathy and produces (an urge) to strike back. If the Mujahid people were prone to submit to force and tyranny, then is there any gimmick both in terms of military muscles showdown and other devilish conspiracies that has been left by the Americans during the last decade? But the ground realities have it that the use of force brings in opposite consequences here. This popular movement can be bracketed with a spring which, when you pressurize, bounces back with the same intensity.
The Islamic Emirate believes, the martyrdom of Sheikh Osama bin Laden will give a new impetus to the current Jihad against the invaders in this critical phase of Jihad. The tides of Jihad will gain strength and width. The forthcoming time will prove this both for the friends and the foes, if God willing.
The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
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NOTE: On May 3, the Ṭālibān released a statement saying they believe UBL was still alive. It appears the message published by AQ earlier today has changed their mind.
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