Muslim groups respond to Osama bin Laden’s death:
No Fireworks, Only Candles: Our Work as Americans and Muslims
From ReligionDispatches
. . . we are stunned and relieved at Osama bin Laden’s death, watching Twitter swell and listening to President Obama’s address through the laptop.
The relief dissipates. I have no desire to set off fireworks, jump into a car and yell out the window while waving fists and flags. If I were in New York City, I would light a candle at the memorial and keep vigil. In San Francisco, I pray in a room lit only by a streetlamp, filled with sadness for those who have died in America, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, and apprehension at the terrorism-related deaths to come. Our work as Americans and Muslims is far from done.
BREAKING NEWS: Osama Bin Laden Killed in Pakistan; U.S. Muslim Groups Respond; Updated Faith Links
From Beliefnet.com
. . . the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued the following statement:
“We join our fellow citizens in welcoming the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been eliminated as a threat to our nation and the world through the actions of American military personnel. As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and Al Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide. We also reiterate President Obama’s clear statement tonight that the United States is not at war with Islam.”
And the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) “greeted the news of the death of Osama bin Laden with an immense sense of relief. This is a time when our country must stand together, and turn the page on a decade of terror led by bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.” From the group’s press release:
“We hope this is a turning point away from the dark period of the last decade, in which bin Laden symbolized the evil face of global terrorism,” said MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati. “His actions and those of Al-Qaeda have violated the sacred Islamic teachings upholding the sanctity of all human life. His acts of senseless terror have been met with moral outrage by Muslims worldwide at every turn in the past decade.”