198 african appropriations
communication of politico-religious radicalism—be it directed at the lo-
cal Muslim elites or Christian migrant laborers—and also for the po-
tentially idolatrous stylization of bin Laden into a “surrogate prophet.”
Both significations are easily veiled by the less controversial expression
of belonging to a global community of faith, which can be communicated
by bin Laden stickers as well.
As a trademark of radical Islam, Osama bin Laden has joined the
ranks of global politico-religious icons. Global mass media reproduced
bin Laden’s face millions of times and because only a limited number of
photos were available, time and again showing the same attributes (beard,
turban, caftan, or camouflage jacket), he also has a high degree of brand
recognition. As an icon of politico-religious radicalism, bin Laden may be
located halfway between Jesus Christ and Che Guevara, whose antithetic
meanings he seems to combine. Both Nigerian popular culture and the
global art scene have discovered bin Laden’s resemblance to conventional
por trayals of Christ already.^8 His affinity with the antiestablishment icon
Che Guevara, however, seems to have been realized so far only by clothes
vendors in Thailand. Islamic studies scholar Farish Noor (2004: 198) re-
ports visiting a Thai market where bin Laden T-shirts were on sale beside
Che Guevara T-shirts. W hen Noor asked the Muslim clothes vendor who
that guy was with the beret and beard, pointing to Guevara, the man re-
plied: “Osama’s brother, of course!”