What if one of these companies couldn’t or didn’t want to pay? The Somali pirates would kill the hostages, would they not? Whose fault would that be? Would you blame it on the people who didn’t enter into negotiations with criminals or would it be the pirates’ fault for killing them?

These pirates are doing this for the same reason any criminal robs a bank; they want money. How much of their ill-gotten gain has been used in humanist efforts? Why don’t they only attack trawlers fishing illegally in their waters instead of cargo ships destined for other places? You have no argument whatsoever. If you think you do please refer to the aforementioned denoted by *.

Ships got robbed – people who were robbed tried to get ships back – a few of the robbers got killed.

The reason ships were getting robbed was probably the same reason why many people in a society turn to armed robbery. Poverty, lack of jobs, lots of western action/gangster movies/music being imported into the country, maybe a little child abuse in early childhood, and oh yes, lots of western GUNS being imported into the country.

Has piracy every occured in human history before? All the time! If we consider piracy to include non-sea armed robbery, I would consider the invasion of Iraq the biggest Piracy hit of this decade. All that free oil and those government contracts made our Cheney and Bush pirate families rich! I would also consider the loss of civilian life in Iraq to be conisdered as genocide. Especially since the country never once said or implied an invasion of the United States.

Actually, wait a minute – not only Iraq – how about several countries, states and people around the world being oppressed by more powerful nations and armies that want to steal its resources. Matter of fact, in the past 100 years, this world has witnessed the worst forms of genocide – from Cambodia to Soveit Union to Germany to Rawanda to Darfur etc etc etc. Corrupt governments have robbed other countries of countless resources (the rape of Latin American democracy and resources by the US empire for one) over and over again over the years. How about this whole economic “situation” we are in. In fact it is not a “situation” it is straight ROBBERY of the weatlh of people by the collapse of the value of assets held by many, caused by the schemes and plots of a few who learned how to inflate the value of THEIRS by BILLIONS and somehow, not ONLY get away with it, but convince the governments of the world to give them MORE money to do it all over again in another ten years.

So why so much focus on the Somali pirates who are making only a small million here and million there for a ship?? I am sorry to say, when you really analyze the situation, write countless articles about it, read twenty books about it, read thirty different news agency reports about it – you come to the same conclusion that my uncle, who was sitting in his living room, sipping on a cup of tea came to: “The media is just fixating its attention on an irrelevant news story with the purpose of diverting the world population’s attention from the real problems of the world to this stupid, small, minute yet cool and rare problem of somalian piracy. If one were to truly analyze the causes of many of the problems in the world, one would come to the realiziation that lack of free education, highly commercialized media outlets, corrupt government structures, capitalistic propoganda and the lack of interest given to the Sacred Law of God and the subsequent moral codes and principles and ways of living extrapolated from that Law is truly the reason behind all of this “piracy” going on.” Now I don’t know about you, but I think my uncle is right.

This is not a Muslim issue – it really doesn’t matter what those Somalian’s called themselves or what they believed in. They did what they did – they should be prosecuted by international law. And if they got shot whole robbing the ships, oh well, they knew that might happen. They might have been suffering, but to rob other people by threatening their lives with weapons is war, if not close to it. Whether you are robbing your local liquor store or robbing a huge ship – it is considered armed robbery and kidnapping. You should be punished – it doesn’t make any sense for anyone not to punish them. We don’t live on planet Mars.

It is just a sad world out there these days – but there is still hope. There is always hope – but if we want to stop this oppression in the world (and piracy which will increase more everyday), we need to start in our own homes and local neighborhoods . Are our neighborhoods producing drug pushing thugs and armed robbers or are they producing arrogant, emotionless corporate executives who continue to ruin the world? If that is the case – do something about it.

Alhamdulillah – the piece sheds some light on a root cause that has been brushed under the media carpet.

I’m writing to request permission from Hablayo Cabdi / MM if this article may be reprinted in a local-Ottawa Muslim monthly newspaper.

Please let me know.

was’salam

I am a British Somali and I would like to say that whilst I share the authors concerns about toxic dumping in our coast and illegal shipping and that this major problem has come to public attention because of the piracy, I’m rather confused as to why Allah fearing Muslims would go out of their way defend these men and justify their actions.

These thugs are greedy thieves who are only in it for themselves, they boast to the media about their cars, their villas and their women. They’re the same people who used to kidnap Diaspora Somalis when they visit Somalia and hold them for ransom, the same people who made deals with the Italian Mafia and made it possible for them to dump toxic waste in our shores. Perhaps not the same individuals but their actions share a common motivation- greed! In short, haraam. No amount of sugar coating will make it morally justifiable. I’ll say it again, their actions are criminal and haraam. And speak the truth, even if it’s against yourself / brother. Hadith.

Secondly, dispite all the wrongs in Somalia, we have a fairly healthy economy, peace and local governance in most parts. Allah did not forsake our people, Alhamdulilah!

I want to hear NO MORE EXCUSES for crimes, no matter if they are Muslim or not. NO MORE EXCUSES.

And as far as a ship based out of Mississippi in Somali waters, well, the author forgets that big freighter ships are designed to go in high seas, NOT LAND> So what is so confusing about a Ship going through one of the busiest throughfares of open seas in the world???
The author seemed to have an absolute bias against the US actions against the criminal pirates and he set out right from the begining to minimize the severity of the piracy problem right from the beginning.

We as muslims need to stop making excuses every time some Muslim commits a crime. Criticize the terrorists alqaida openly, criticize the Taliban criminals openly, criticize the somali pirates OPENLY and withour reservations!!!

http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates/

I’ve blogged about it as well, it’s important to get the other side out there!