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Apparently UBL's dad, Muhummad was visiting Latakia on business. UBL acknowledges that she was his father's maid while there.

My theory is that Muhammad, a famous womanizer, got her pregnant, had to get her out of town. But never married her, because the relationship ended right after UBL was born and UBL's mother was so scorned by Muhammad's other wives.

The custom was to have all the wives living together, but she moved out of the harem 6 months after UBL was born and raised UBL outside of the harem until he was about 7. Very odd for any male child to be taken out of the father's house.

thanks and please keep me on your ping list. interesting info.

Interesting that UBL's mother was Shia.

She was from Syria IIRC, which has a Shi'a minority. Interesting that a Saudi Sunni would marry a Shi'ite though.

One of the opening chapters of The Looming Tower (called "The Founder," I believe) has a good bio on OBL too.

Until this study that wasn't known outside UBL's circle. She has lived most of her adult life in KSA as a live-in private tutor for families so secretive they don't want their children even in private schools.

BTW, her specialty is American English, indicating that she may have gone to an American university and lived here for some years.

Her real name is still unknown.

Lots of surprises from this study. I didn't know that Hamza's mother was not Najwa, UBL's first wife.