Osama Bin Laden is dead.

I feel relief that his spectre is no longer around as a boogie man, making our country's intelligence services jump at shadows trying to find the information on the next terror attack.

At the same time I feel dread at the possibility of renewed assaults on us and our allies in the fight against terrorism and extremism. I worry now about rushed attacks on our servicemen and women, in revenge for his death. A rushed attack is one we cannot prevent as we cannot determine patterns or develop intelligence about it. It is too sudden for that.

And yet even more so I find myself praying. Praying that maybe someone will look and see the ultimate futility in attacking innocents. The futility in terrorism for terror's sake.

Islam is supposed to be a religion of peace. And yet it has become known as an instrument of terror and subjugation. What happened? When did Islam turn away from peace? From tolerance?

I fear Osama Bin Laden's death will be used by many of his followers and many who do not follow him as a means to perpetrate atrocities on others. And for those atrocities to be held up as "following the tenets of Islam"

Whose agenda does that follow?

Killing, maiming, raping and torturing someone because they do not share the same beliefs as yourself?

I'm sorry, I disagree with many people over many things. Religion included. But I would NEVER, EVER, EVER think of causing harm to someone over it. To do so, is selfish, unthinking and just plain RUDE behavior.

I happen to have several friends back up in Missouri who are Muslim. And when 9/11 happened they all like me were shocked and saddened by what happened. My friend Syd actually went to the FBI office in downtown St. Louis and asked them if he could help, or if they needed to speak with him as he had just the week before returned from Pakistan visiting his parents. I was at his job talking with him when 2 FBI agents asked to speak with him and showed him some photographs. He was always helpful to them. The only thing I recall him asking was if it wasn't an emergency, could they wait for his lunch break which was in 20 minutes.

Syd always told me that he wished he could join the Army or the FBI to catch the terrorists. His health precluded him joining the military, they don't allow people with heart problems in the service, but I do know he would go to the FBI office any time they called and asked him to.

Syd died last year. His heart finally gave out. It was a very large heart, both physically and spiritually. And because of him I know that not all Muslims are bad people.

Maa’ Assalama Sayeed Ali