RIYADH: People in Saudi Arabia glued to their television sets Monday morning as all satellite channels started airing the story of Osama Bin Laden's death. The death of the Al-Qaeda leader brought in a mixed reaction from the Saudis and expatriates most of whom did not hail the killing of the “most notorious human being of the century” but the circumstances surrounding the attack that killed him. A cross-section of people Saudi Gazette talked to hoped that with Osama's death, world would become a safer place to live in. Terror activities will obviously come down and a sense of security would prevail in the world, they said. Mansour Al-Hamad, an Egyptian national, said the circumstances under which Osama was claimed to have been killed by US forces raised many questions. “Every normal person that has a psychological sense of community would say he/she is relieved after hearing the news that Osama is dead,” he said. He said Osama had done more harm to Muslims by his terrorist activities, particularly in the name of Islam. “However, I have my reservations to the news telecast that particularly originated from the Western media. It is the same media that was at the forefront spreading information that Osama was behind the 9/11 attacks on New York and other American cities,” he said. How anyone could believe that Osama was killed, he said. “There was no footage that suggests the killing of Osama. Moreover, US claim was that the most wanted criminal on earth (Osama Bin Laden) was buried in the sea. The US would definitely have used his dead body showing to the world and boasting they have killed him. Credibility is somehow lacking,” he said. Mohammad Misbahuddin, an Indian national, said the report has some soothing effect on the minds of peace-loving people. “I am saying this because the world after 9/11 and the so-called ‘war on terrorism' became an unsafe place to live in. Everyone has been living with a sense of social insecurity,” he said. Dr. Ashraf Ali, a dental surgeon, said Bin Laden's death would at least hush up those elements that used him and Al-Qaeda to tarnish the image of Islam. “I earnestly hope that the followers of Bin Laden would come to their senses and realize that Islam does not teach violence. I also hope that the ideology that Bin Laden has followed and spread among people that work for Al-Qaeda would mend their ways and come into the mainstream,” he said. With the killing of Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda is almost leaderless, said Kareemuddin Ahmed, a Pakistani shopper in a mall. “Bin Laden's death is a big blow to the Al-Qaeda movement which was spreading hatred in the name of Islam,” he said. The news of Bin Laden's death has also astonished many, raising questions as to his presence in the heart of Abbotabad, an important city of Pakistan. “I bogged down each time to watch the news coverage that Osama lived in a walled villa located in a posh area of an important city. We also hear that Osama's villa was located about six miles from the academy of Pakistan armed forces. I feel infuriated with this media coverage,” he said.
