After President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed by the United States with the help of Pakistan, Niles West Muslim students rejoiced.
“It’s great, because we’ve been searching for this terrorist for 10 years,” said Azmina Panjwani, a senior Muslim. “People who died, and their families, finally get closure; the reassurance in America will transpire that ‘yes we are united and Al Qaeda does not have the ability to hinder our country.'”
According to President Obama, the attack was launched today, with a joint effort from Pakistan, by a target operation that engaged in a firefight killing Bin Laden. The operatives then captured the body and was in possession of the United States. According to Obama, Bin Laden was hiding in a compound deep inside Pakistan.
He was the leader and symbol of Al Qaeda whose death and capture has brought joy and relief to Muslim students at West.
“I feel in a way that there might be a little hope for Muslims,” senior Abeer Zaidi said. “I mean the government and citizens should probably start saying you know ‘we shouldn’t be mean to Muslims, finally he’s dead. Now we can stop the killing and war,’ and stop making accusations on us: the innocent Muslims.”
She later said, “I was on Tumblr, and a random person had written ‘oh, I bet Muslims are crying because their leader is dead,’ but he’s not our leader. We wanted him dead just as much as everyone else in this world did. Now he is, we’re just as happy as you are.”
Panjwani added her relief as well.
“I feel relieved because now people can stop being scared of Muslims. Now that we have crippled the Taliban or Al Qaeda there might be less acts of terror, and our country can feel better about Muslims. I really hope, as a Muslim myself, today is the beginning of a better time for Muslims,” she said. “Maybe there’ll even be less random checks at the airports. A dark skinned bearded man won’t get harassed if he’s walking down the street. There might still be that fear but not as much. You can only hope right?”
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Nashiha Alam • May 10, 2011 at 12:17 AM
I believe that Osama bin Laden was ,lightly said,a bad man; he commenced the deaths of thousands. He deserved to die, and that is what came to him. I personally, have questioned this entire situation, still to have found no conclusive opinion on whether or not the “facts” are facts.
As to the wild celebrations that went on at ground zero, a mass slaughter ground, I can surely say I condemn the events that occurred by barbaric citizens of this country.
Refer to http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/03/no-dignity-ground-zero-frat-boy
I disagree with Abeer. This is because i know for a fact that security will be increased substantially and racial comments have no reason to stop. However, I don’t know why Abeer or any Muslim student at this school should complain about racism, because we are blind to the good part of it. At Niles West, we receive the best treatment, from staff and our peers, that I would ever imagine. To try and acknowledge racism at Niles West is absurd and is not understandable, in my opinion.
(Do you really think that the death of Osama was taken lightly by all Muslims? Have we all forgotten about extremists overseas we had just started to segregate ourselves from, as Muslims? Extremism exists, and so do pro-Osama easterners)
Peter • May 9, 2011 at 7:10 PM
But is it right to kill bin Laden, who was defenseless, and is it it right to not put him trial? According to the US constitution everybody has the right to have a trial. Yes you may say that we are in war, and that he was part of Al- Queda killing hundreds of people, but the United States is not a barbarian like Al-Queda. The US is one of he most powerful countries on Earth. And is it right for America to be cheering for the death of a person. How will the rest of the world look at the US now?
Rebecca Yun • May 3, 2011 at 3:30 PM
Something always happens on my birthday. ALWAYS.
-King Kamehameha I of Hawaii is born
-Hawaii is established
-Pluto is officially named
-Empire State Building is dedicated in New York
-Polio vaccine is made public
-Disney MGM Studios opens in Disney World
-Tim McGraw’s birthday
-My birthday 🙂
And now Obama announces bin Laden’s death. What a great birthday gift.
Ms. Chandarana • May 3, 2011 at 10:50 AM
I’m not certain that murder is anything to celebrate… I have mixed emotions on this one.
andy • May 3, 2011 at 7:23 PM
He was the mastermind behind the killing of 2,966 people. With all do respect, I do not understand how you could have mixed emotions.
andy • May 3, 2011 at 7:24 PM
Oops… “due”
Stacy • May 5, 2011 at 9:48 PM
@Ms. Chandarana & andy: I think those are both really valid points.
I agree that we are much, much better off without Osama Bin Laden. Ultimately I would say it’s a good thing and, although I haven’t been celebrating, I am glad that this happened. Overall it was a good thing, for our country and the rest of world. It brought some sense of closure to so many people who suffered because of this man.
But that doesn’t mean I think Ms. C’s comment was invalid. You could definitely argue that it’s a little weird to celebrate a person’s death. And there are people out there who just aren’t comfortable with that fact.
I personally don’t have mixed emotions. Like I said, I’m glad it happened; it’s a good thing. But I wouldn’t blame someone for not feeling comfortable rejoicing over this.
Aditi • May 8, 2011 at 3:00 PM
He’s killed thousands of people. He most defiantly deserved death. I don’t understand how anyone could feel bad for him.
CFRP-FTW • May 2, 2011 at 9:17 PM
First of all, the Pakistani government had no knowledge of the raid of the compound outside Islamabad. this was a mission ordered by the president to raid the compound for the past 2 months. Pakistani- U.S. ties were weak for the past months, and the U.S. decided it would be best not to tell the government of the plans.
Intelligence agencies were not 100% sure that this was Osama’s residence.
The Body was never returned to the United States, it was buried in the North Arabian Sea a few hours later.
The compound was not at all secluded from the environment around it. The Military Academy of Pakistan located just a few miles away was surrounded by many inhabitants.
The fact that he was hiding in a more densely populated area, made it harder for agencies to identify people leaving and going into the compound. This made him successful for a few months.
With the death, I do fear that our foreign policy will become weak with the rejoicing of many Americans in the United States. While i think it is perfectly acceptable to rejoice for the successful actions of our military, we can become to excited and in some cases disrespectful.
It will probably insult the wrong people, the people who have power and could potentially cause harm to the U.S. These are the wrong people to anger and without some respect, our troubles will be far from over.
Sean Connery • May 3, 2011 at 10:47 AM
How do you know all of this? This operation was carried out by MI6. Anyways, who will be insulted by this? Our nation was attacked; we have every right to retaliate! God Bless America.
andy • May 3, 2011 at 11:20 PM
The operation was not carried out by the M16. Actually, the attack was carried out by Joint Special Operations Command forces working with the CIA. Not that it matters, but it was not the British, it was us… Americans.
Sean Connery • May 4, 2011 at 6:05 PM
that’s what the government wants you to think! it’s all a conspiracy. MI6 runs this.
Michael • May 5, 2011 at 8:08 PM
wow
Rozy Kanjee • May 3, 2011 at 10:19 PM
Thank you for the details. At the time I was writing this article there wasn’t much information given on what exactly happened. My main focus was to get the perspectives of Muslim students and their reactions. There is still a lot of information that is unknown.
Aditi • May 8, 2011 at 3:05 PM
How could you not know that the worlds most wanted terrorist is living in your country. Especially if he’s near the capital, and living in a mansion. That’s ridiculous.
Abeer • May 2, 2011 at 9:22 AM
Rozy this is amazing! and yes! i so agree with azmina, maybe those random checks and racial comments wil finally stop or at least decrease a ton. [:
Dabin Chen • May 2, 2011 at 12:05 AM
Ooraah!