ABC 7: CAIR-Chicago's Ahmed Rehab Welcomes End of Libyan Dictatorship

October 20, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Moammar Gadhafi's long-running regime affected many lives in the United States, including in the Chicago area.

Many in Chicago's Libyan community told ABC7 Thursday that they feel a sense of relief because Gadhafi's mark the end of a dictatorship.

Tears of joy filled the Aduib home in Bridgeview as family and friends watched Arab TV via satellite. Mohamed Aduib's family got the news about Moammar Gadhafi's possible capture and death early Thursday morning. He was overcome with happiness.

"It is a very joyful day," said Aduib. "Since six o'clock the phone was ringing continuously from the neighbors, from overseas, from Libya, and everyone is celebrating."

The Libyan community in Chicago is exhilarated. Many had grown up in a repressive and brutal police state under Gadhafi. They believe the news sends a very important global message.

"This just shows, any dictator in the world has no power in this time and age," said Abdulraoof Aduib. "Every dictator should be in constant fear of his people, because at the end of the day, it's the people that rule the country, not the dictator."

CAIR-Chicago is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its executive director says this is a great day.

"We're relieved at the end of an era. Muslims don't rejoice at the death of an individual. However, we are rejoicing at the death of dictatorship and tyranny, and the murderous period that Gadhafi was going after his own people," said CAIR's Ahmed Rehab. 

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago says, now that the war against Gadhafi's regime is over, Libya will face a new challenge.

"Now we have a longer, much scarier war that we are going to be entering, which is the war of educating, building the country, the war of assuring that the new government, the new Libya is a free Libya, a democratic Libya," said Sanad Elfirjani.

The Aduib family says it can now visit family in Libya without fear.