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At root of terror is social injustice

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Osama bin Laden's death has dominated the news for the past few weeks. The mass celebrations quickly filled me with scepticism at how the death of one person can have such a profound impact on the world.

But let's be clear. The world is a better place without bin Laden, mass murderer and hide-and-seek champion. The terrorist mastermind had claimed responsibility for the killing of thousands of civilians and, because of that, he is a monster.

It will be interesting to see what happens next. The swift burial at sea means his body is irretrievable, fuelling conspiracy theories he is not dead. Perhaps bin Laden was killed by the MI6? It could well be a British plot designed to keep the press preoccupied so William and Kate could have a peaceful honeymoon.

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Jokes aside, the death raises serious issues. There is a lot of problems that bin Laden represented: the war in Afghanistan, terrorism, Islamophobia. Yet his death does not mean these problems will disappear.

Take Egypt, for example. Though Hosni Mubarak has been ousted, the corruption and economic chaos that Egyptians fought against are still there. The key player is gone, but the trouble is that the system has deteriorated over decades of corruption and oppression.

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With bin Laden dead, the world must still deal with terrorism and, in particular, its causes. Why do men who think violence is the solution attract so many followers?

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