Al Qaida inspired by Isaac Asimov?

[Jimcalagon]

Here's a theory I hadn't come across before - the Al Qaida network may have been inspired by Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels, the first of which was allegedly translated into arabic under the title 'Al Qaida'.

LA City Beat - I Bin Laden

More in-depth article from The Guardian Book Review


No real evidence but some interesting speculation and intruiging parallels between Bin Laden and Hari Seldon.

Nice theory but a bit of a stretch, in my opinion.

 

[fuelair]

Here's a theory I hadn't come across before - the Al Qaida network may have been inspired by Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels, the first of which was allegedly translated into arabic under the title 'Al Qaida'.

LA City Beat - I Bin Laden

More in-depth article from The Guardian Book Review


No real evidence but some interesting speculation and intruiging parallels between Bin Laden and Hari Seldon.

Nice theory but a bit of a stretch, in my opinion.

I admit that I can see a parallel there: both can be described as parts of the body - Seldon is the brain of the body and bin Loadin' is the rectum.

 

[e^n]

I'm not that convinced, I own most of Asimov's work and the article really doesn't represent it properly. The comment about there being a 'second al quaeda' is just fearmongering.

 

[cisco]

I've wondered if they might've gotten their cell structure from Heinlein. Never heard the Asimov theory, though.

 

[cisco]

double post

 

[Arkan_Wolfshade]

Hrm, Frank Herbert would have come to my mind before Asimov.

 

[rwguinn]

I'm not that convinced, I own most of Asimov's work and the article really doesn't represent it properly. The comment about there being a 'second al quaeda' is just fearmongering.

I'm with you. The author(s) of those articles have never read "Foundation", nor, would it appear that anyone who leans that way has ever read the book/series.

Anyone who wants to relate Bin Laden to "Hari Seldon" is reaching WAAAAAY out ther--dreaming. It is a BIG stretch...
Harlan Ellison has it right...

 

[fuelair]

Harlan Ellison has it right...

Most of the time he does indeed!!!

 

[Father Dagon]

Hrm, Frank Herbert would have come to my mind before Asimov.

Yeah. The images of mothers throwing their babies at the "evil" Harkonnen troops made me sick.

The only good thing that I can say about Dune is that it spurred my creativity. Imagine what you could do in that woo-space with Star Trek technology. Vive la République!

 

[Drudgewire]

Chiming in to say Harlan Ellison rules.

 

[boloboffin]

Al Qaeda means the base or the foundation. Only in a general sense could the rationale behind Asimov's Foundation be compared to bin Laden's. Asimov's was meant to provide a force to counteract the growing Galactic chaos and produce a new Empire in about a thousand years. That sounds very like the Al Qaeda plan to grow into a powerful fundamentalistic caliphate. But that's how all influential groups grow in power.

And comparing Seldon to bin Laden is way out of line.

 

[dudalb]

I just cannot see any comparasion between Asimov's Foundation and Al Qaida,except for the pure coincidence of name.

 

[Brainster]

On the other hand, the 9-11 Troof Movement seems quite obviously inspired by Asimov's most famed short story, "Nutfall".

 

[Brainache]

Wasn't Asimov Jewish? I can't see Bin Laden and his buddies being too keen to base their network on a series of books by a Jewish American scientist. It would be just as likely that they got their ideas from a Marx Bros movie. Duck Soup anyone?

 

[BenBurch]

I admit that I can see a parallel there: both can be described as parts of the body - Seldon is the brain of the body and bin Loadin' is the rectum.

Rectum? Damn near killed him!

(sorry, had to.)

 

[proxywar]

Actually the Al Qaida network was inspired by Osama who was inspried by Sayyid Qutb's milestones, and Sayyid Qutb relied entirely on the Quran.

 

[Foolmewunz]

Intentional Derail

Hey! I mention Harlan Ellison in a sci fi thread..., particularly his seminal collection, Dangerous Visions, and his oh-so-delicious novella, A Boy and His Dog... do I get even a peep of acknowledgment? Nooooooo!

But wander into an Asimov* based thread in CT, and we're doing a tribute to the guy!!!

*Speaking of whom.... does anyone have Dangerous Visions? The intro by Asimov is beautiful.


Okay back to the OP. Dumb idea promoted by dumb journalists who have neither read their Asimov nor have any knowledge of AQ. I guess they had nothing better to do and it was a slow news day.

 

[gumboot]

I love it when people go Oh My God These Two Completely Unrelated Things Have Some Vague And Tenuous Similarity, Clearly One Directly Caused The Other!

 

[cisco]

I love it when people go Oh My God These Two Completely Unrelated Things Have Some Vague And Tenuous Similarity, Clearly One Directly Caused The Other!

To be fair, sometimes people just like to talk about similarities. After 9/11 I pointed out some similarities to the book Watchmen on another messageboard and I was loudly accused of doing . . . well, something. I'm not quite sure what.

 

[Obviousman]

Edited by tim: 

Bad language.

The parallels are incorrect and against what Asimov was trying to say.

As people (and the article) have said, Asimov was a pacifist. They fail to mention that although psychohistory was developed, it could not CHANGE the path; it could only hope to sway it and reduce the period of "darkness". There was no mention of the Second Foundation either.