It is important to understand that the death of the despicable leader of Al-Qaida does not represent in any way the death of a Muslim leader. As President Obama said so eloquently, he was a mass murderer of Muslims in many countries. Including the United States.

If there ever could be any kind of closure to those who lost their lives and families who lost their loved ones in the terrible aftermath of 9/11, this may be it. It warmed American hearts that it was an American military force that got him, but the bleak reality is that WHAT he did can never be erased from human memory.

Many innocent Muslims have suffered from the murderous actions of Osama Bin laden, either directly or indirectly, and they are among the happiest to see the end of this diabolical mastermind of evil. Being Muslim in America can never be what it was before September 11, 2001, but maybe now the clouds will part and the true blue of the sky will shine resplendent through the hatred, intolerance and bigotry that symbolize Bin Laden and his ilk.

Bin Laden may have been a spiritual leader to many, but he NEVER represented Islam.

It is time to rejoice but with a careful eye on the future. The tragedy of 9/11 has altered American consciousness and seeped into our cultural identity in a way that nothing before ever has.