"Muslim Nomanic Culture" Versus Pirates

The world's navies haven't stopped Somalian pirates from seizing everything from small fishing boats to a Saudi oil tanker off the Horn of Africa. In the first of a series of articles called The Pirate Chronicles, The New York Times suggests that an "Islamic Backlash" is underway in the failed nation of Somalia. ...here in Garoowe, the pirates are increasingly viewed as stains on the devoutly Muslim, nomatic culture, blamed for introducing big-city evils like drugs, alcohol, street brawling and AIDS.

Grass-roots, antipirate militias are forming. Sheiks and government leaders are embarking on a campaign to excommunicate the pirates, telling them to get out of town and preaching at mosques for women not to marry these un-Islamic, thieving “burcad badeed,” which in Somali translates as sea bandit. There is even a new sign at a parking lot in Garoowe, the sun-blasted capital of the semiautonomous region of Puntland, that may be the only one of its kind in the world. The thick red letters say: No pirates allowed.

The reader knows about the sign -- and what is developing in the lawless region -- because a journalist and a photographer were there to report. You don't get that kind of coverage from satellite photos! The reporting team interviewed many different kinds of people to provide broader perspective and even tracked down a leading pirate. Interviewed over a camel meat and pasta lunch, the pirate said, "Ha! Me eating with white men. Like the cat eating with the mice!"

The story takes you there with with words, maps, photos, links to related stories and videos and offers readers an opportunity to share their thoughts. Your laptop is your ticket to a first-hand look at what is going on in an important region. How do you like the interactive, cross-platform approach to international news?