What bin Laden's Death Means for Morton Grove

"Justice," declared President Obama, "has been done."

Referencing the killing of Osama bin Laden and the mastermind of 9/11, Obama grabbed the world's attention with his Sunday speech and effectively ended a decade-long hunt for the personification of Islam extremism.  

For one proud American suburb, the ghost of bin Laden can be felt in lingering questions, skepticism and fear.

Yet there's reason for optimism, as some Morton Grove leaders point out.

Here at Patch we recorded reactions from leaders in town as they calibrate the effects of the news on Morton Grove. 

Habeeb Quadri: MCC-Full Time School Principal 

I went to bed early, and had no idea until I heard an announcement in the morning. 

What's your reaction to the news?

I pray that this starts the process to end the War on Terror and brings relief to families in every faith and walk of life. As person of faith I believe that God is just and that Osama bin Laden will be questioned for his actions and beliefs.

I hope this stops the extremism. There always have been individuals who create associations for our Muslim faith at large. Hopefully this can separate us in our day-to-day life, and help people understand what using the name of faith means.  

How does this affect young Muslims?

For Islamic youth, you always have to be on the defense and explain things going on. Hopefully individuals can move on to say that was a part of history, the history of an individual who did actions outside the faith’s rules.

When people thought of him, he personified extremism. We always were made to think of Islam as an extremism; hopefully that will be taken away.

How does this affect Morton Grove?

I hope it brings closure in our community. We look forward to seeing where we go from here. God really knows. 

Maybe the fear that people had in communities could dwindle slowly. We can look at the faith for what the faith is, not what a few individuals represented the faith as.

Dan Staackmann: Morton Grove Mayor

"I found out about 10 p.m. on Sunday; I saw it on the TV. 

What's your reaction to the news? 

I’m very optimistically cautious that this is going to give us closure. We’ve learned about the retaliation of Al Qaeda, and I don’t feel it’s time for celebration. It’s a time to rethink our positions on what’s going to happen next. 

The death of anybody, whether friend or foe, should not necessarily be celebrated. If this was a definite end to the War on Terror, there would be joys to be had. But I don’t think this going to end it.

How does this affect Morton Grove?

I don’t think it affects Morton Grove anymore so than any other community in the rest of world. When you have an organization that is dedicated to the destruction of one civilization, the United States, it affects everyone in the world.

Tom Friel: Morton Grove Fire Chief

I was asleep. It was interesting, though, my son, who is studying political science, texted me and woke me up. We sat up and talked for a little bit.

What's your reaction to the news?

Like everybody my first reaction was a certain amount of satisfaction as an American. We constantly are reminded over the past 10 years of the man who planned it. In that regard, it brings some closure. It definitely does within the fire service, where we lost 343 firefighters in the World Trade Center.

How does this affect Morton Grove?

It was definitely positive. It really had nothing to do with religious affiliation or politics, it was more about good and bad.

We got the bad guy, quite simply.

Ben Schapiro: Morton Grove Public Library Director

I heard a suggestion of bin Laden's death via Facebook and watched the news for confirmation. 

What's your reaction to the news?

We are quietly relieved, but recognize we have a long way to go to achieve a peaceful world. I doubt this will make a big change in how Al Qaeda operates, as it has become much more dispersed, more like ideologically similar gangs than anything else. But this can be a real opening to get the troops out of Middle East. 

How does this affect Morton Grove?

On the home front the change will be a reduction of the frustration of not having gotten him. We can accomplish what we set out to do. We have the determination and intelligence. 

Long term, nationally and locally, I hope this means a repeal of the privacy-infringing Patriot Act and similar laws that expose private information to scrutiny without safeguards. And I hope this becomes an opportunity to improve relations between all of our communities.