Mihir Naik was just getting ready to go to bed May 1, when a news flash on his cell phone changed his plans. The news – about Osama bin Laden's death during an American raid at a compound in Pakistan – jolted him out of his reverie and Naik rushed to turn on the television.

A New Jersey resident who now works remotely for a company in Atlanta, Ga., Naik used to work in the Twin Towers at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. "I was transported 10 years back," he said, remembering the colleagues and friends who perished that fateful Tuesday. "It's nice to see evil people get what they deserve."

While Naik celebrated the moment by calling friends and family, Arushi Modi preferred staying away from the all the commotion to remember silently the  lives that were so mercilessly taken away.

Modi says that even though she did not know anyone who died, she feels it is human nature to pray for their peace, especially now "that the man behind the dreaded attacks is slain." Moreover, the Parsippany, N.J., resident feels celebrating a death, however violent or deserved, is not morally correct.

But her friend, Uma Mohan, does not agree. "What Osama did is not right and he deserves to die," Mohan, a web developer on Long Island, N.Y., told Desi Talk.

A hope for peace

South Asian Americans, whether they were directly affected by the attacks or not, believe bin Laden's death is certainly a positive step in the war against terrorism.

"Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is condemnable," Harish Bhatt, president of the Association of Indian Pharmacists in America, told Desi Talk.

He is of the opinion that terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, nationality or ethnic group. "Today, there's sense of relief among us," he said. "After combating with this malice for over a decade with the 9/11 attack, we Indians feel peace and tranquility is restored in the world."

For Masaarath Mirza, a Muslim of Indian descent, the al-Qaida leader's death is not just good for Islam, it's good for the world. "Osama is not a man who the Muslim people follow," Mirza, a homemaker in Philadelphia, told Desi Talk.

Mirza, along with other members of a local Muslim organization, planned to organize a vigil in memory of 9/11 victims and "pray for peace and love in the world."

Muslim-Americans like Mirza welcomed the news of bin Laden's death and expressed their joy and a sense of closure nearly a decade after the terror attacks jolted the United States.

For journalist Ifti Nasim of Pakistan News in Chicago, terrorism is a globalized phenomenon. "Terrorists do not respect state boundaries, they do not always represent a nation state. I am in favor of America that it has cleansed the world by killing Osama bin Laden," Nasim told Desi Talk. 

For Azim Ahmad, who runs Musik Waves, an event management company in New Jersey, the death of the most-wanted terrorist on the planet is great news after a long time. He told Desi Talk he hopes that more good things will come out of that, and peace and harmony will prevail.

But some were skeptical of the news. "Personally, I feel there was much speculation in the Arabian countries about his death. There is still a lot of skepticism that bin Laden has really been killed," Syed Sabahat Jamal, a community activist in Chicago, told Desi Talk. "Only time will tell. We don't know. Unless I see the picture, then I'll believe it. For now, the world has to move on and focus on building better relationships with the Muslim world."

Mohammed Hameeduddin, mayor of Teaneck, N.J., told Desi Talk he is "very pleased and happy that justice is served." However, he was quick to add that the threat is not dead and that "the country has to remain vigilant." When asked about the reaction in his community, he said it is not easy to have one homogenous opinion, but the general atmosphere is one of joy and happiness. "All my friends and family are happy," he said.

Fight against terror

"This is certainly a symbolic victory, a symbolic closure to the chapter," Suhag Shukla, managing director and legal counsel at the Hindu American Foundation, told Desi Talk. "But [to get] any sense of security would be false," she warned.

Shukla said her organization has, for the past few years, been highlighting Pakistan in its annual human rights report – particularly for cross-border terrorism and atrocities on minorities. "It is frustrating to see U.S. lend a helping hand and to know that nearly $11 billion has been given to that country in financial aid. Having found Osama in Pakistan – not in any remote area but in close proximity to the capital – should be any eye-opener," she said.

"We have killed Osama, not his ideology; that will continue to flourish; it is not mission accomplished," Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, an investigative documentary filmmaker said. She was speaking at a webcast tiled "After Osama," hosted by the South Asian Journalists Association. The Emmy-winning director, who has worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan, was speaking from Karachi. Joining her were Omar Waraich, the Time correspondent in Islamabad, and Mansoor Ijaz, a former analyst at Fox.

Speakers discussed the details of the U.S. operation, including the reaction in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the repercussions for the region and the world.

"We all deal with terrorism and we're all its potential victims," noted Ghanshyam Pandey, a professor at the University of Illinois, at Chicago. "It may not be totally stop with the death of bin Laden, but I feel his death is a great setback to terrorism and terrorists."

Gaurang Vaishnav, executive vice president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, said the news was long overdue. "I applaud the United States for its efforts and certainly believe that this is one step further to strengthening our resolve." But he was quick to point out that the battle is far from over. Vaishnav feels India should learn a lesson from this and also get its act together in fighting terrorism.

Manu Vora, chairman and president of Business Excellence Inc. in the Chicago area, agrees with Vaishnav. "I feel justice is served after a prolonged battle and great sacrifice of our countrymen. Killing innocents at 9/11 was a big tragedy. That phase has ended with the end of bin Laden, and now we should focus on constructing a better world for us and for the coming generation."

Mangal Gupta, founder and chairman of the Dushahra Festival in New Jersey, compared bin Laden's death to the death of Ravana. "This is victory of good over evil," Gupta told Desi Talk, adding that a lot of the time it may seem like evil flourishes, but in the end, good prevails. "This is the main message of our organization," he added.

A note of caution

Organizations like the American Islamic Congress American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Islamic Circle of North America Islamic Society of North America also hailed the American raid and commended the U.S. determination in its fight against terrorism.

"We are grateful to President Obama and all others who were instrumental in the demise of a global terrorist who created unbelievable tragedy here in the United States and around the world," a statement released by the American Society for Muslim Advancement said. 

"Today, we speak not as Muslims, and not even as Americans. We speak as human beings who are committed to democracy and the rule of law. Today, we stand with these same voices and hope that the demise of this global terrorist will usher in an era of peace and tranquility for us all."

Zainab Al Suwajim, executive director of the American Islamic Congress, in a statement issued on its website said: "It is a sad truth that one man's death can represent a step forward in the progress of human relations. But in the case of Osama bin Laden, Americans take comfort that our military has at last served justice to a man who terrorized the United States, as well people of all backgrounds around the world. In fact, bin Laden and his followers have massacred and maimed tens of thousands of Muslims.

"The world may at last be free of bin Laden, but the danger he represented has not gone away. The ideology he embodied and promoted is still out there – and we must do everything in our power to combat it. Muslims and Muslim Americans, in particular, have an important role to play in this struggle, standing up unequivocally against terrorism and for individual rights," he said.