Key Messages
Understanding How Somali Pirates’ Faith Shaped Their Everyday Lives, Captives From Around The World Communicating In Chaos, And Why Being Offered The Choicest Cut Of Meat Isn’t Always Kind
If you’re looking to better understand modern-day geopolitics, Michael Scott Moore’s The Desert and the Sea provides an insightful view of it on a personal scale.
Moore had firsthand experience in this regard, having been captured by Somali pirates during his research trip to Somalia between 2005 and 2012 – a time when piracy in Somalia was rampant.
Through his story, readers gain insight into how the lack of a central government led to chaos and casualties.
We also learn about the role faith played in pirate’s lives, as well as how captives from all backgrounds were able to communicate with each other.
Finally, we’re shown that even seemingly kind gestures (such as being offered the choicest cut of meat) may not always be what they appear to be.
Overall, The Desert and the Sea serves as an eye-opening reminder that sometimes politics should be seen from a personal perspective for its true impact to be understood.
Trusting Too Easily Puts A Writer’S Research For His Book On Modern Pirates In Danger
Michael Scott Moore was drawn to Somalia after hearing the contrast between traditional, romanticized stories of piracy and the brutal reality of modern piracy.
From Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride to Robert Louis Stephenson’s Treasure Island – these tales offered a romanticized view of piracy that couldn’t help but draw Michael in.
Then reports of hijacks appeared regularly on the nightly news – pirates in Somalia invading ships and exacting terror on those aboard them.
This new type of piracy was violent, and starkly contrasted with the glorified versions found in books and movies.
It made him wonder: what had lead to this rise in modern piracy? What did it reveal about the state of global order?
Michael’s curiosity took him to Somalia, inspired by reports of a trial involving 10 Somali pirates who were captured while attempting to hijack a German cargo ship.
He kept close track of their trial, even making friends with an interpreter who connected him with a Somali elder living in Berlin: Mohammed Sahal Gerlach.
Through Gerlach he arranged for a visit to Somalia and soon enough he got there, establishing connections with powerful Sa’ad clansmen like Gerlach’s cousin Mohamed Ahmed Alin.
It was here that Michael discovered that his fascination with piracy wasn’t baseless; what started as academic research quickly turned into a real-life exploration into the complicated motivations and dreams driving Somali pirates today – contrasting them sharply with conceptions formed from classic stories like Treasure Island or Pirates of The Caribbean likely inspired by generations past.
The Risky Adventure Of Getting Close To Somali Pirates Revealed Unexpected Dangers
When Matthew T.
Moore set out on his journey to Hobyo, Somalia to interview a pirate, he knew the stakes were high.
He wanted to make sure that he and his team would be kept safe and took every precaution he could think of – from ensuring his status as President Alin’s guest would give him some protection, to bringing fellow journalist Gerlach along with him who was insistent they stay together in case of a kidnapping despite being part of the Sa’ad clan whose wrath they didn’t want to incur- as well as having Digsi, an influential Sa’ad tribal elder also come along.
Despite these measures, however, there were still signs early on that something wasn’t quite right.
For instance, at dinner with Digsi’s relatives Moore found the whole situation overly formal and ceremonial which made him wary; then when Gerlach’s assistant read aloud Moore’s business card a Somali man at a nearby table suddenly recognized Moore’s name- it was almost too coincidental for comfort.
All in all these little occurrences made it clear to Moore that he needed to leave Somalia soon if he wanted to remain safe during his expedition.
The Betrayal Of Trust: How A Writer’s Mistakes Led To A Kidnapping In Somalia
Moore had found himself in an unimaginable position: he was a hostage of the Somali pirate lord, Abdiwel Dirir.
It was only then that he realized how foolish he had been to travel to Somalia.
As much as he had tried to believe it was simply a traffic stop, his car was brought to a sudden halt when a flatbed truck mounted with a cannon came into view, and a dozen armed men jumped out of it.
The situation quickly escalated and Moore soon became aware that his life would never be the same again.
In hindsight, there were clear mistakes in his actions which led him to this point.
He’d invested too much trust in those whom he thought would offer him protection when visiting the region, thinking he wouldn’t be seen as the enemy; something obviously far from true.
He also ignored Gerlach’s warning about kidnapping sparking an unwanted war with Sa’ad – assuming such promises could become reality if only written on the wind.
In captivity for 977 days, Moore contemplated where exactly he’d gone wrong, and recognized that traveling to Somalia was foolish all along .He’d been betrayed and tricked by those own people meant to protect him from danger – something Moore saw more clearly than ever before now a hostage of Abdiwel Dirir himself.
The Strange And Unexpected Ways Hostage Captivity Can Bring People Together
When Paul Henriques Moore made his way to Somalia and became a hostage, a dark cloud of isolation threatened to consume him.
Fortunately, he found comfort in the company of other captives.
One of his first acquaintances was Rolly Tebamba, a fisherman from the Seychelles.
Even though Tebamba wasn’t particularly talkative at first, he suddenly opened up one day and came alive with stories – no doubt providing solace for them both as they faced their difficult situation together.
Most notably though, upon arriving at an anchored boat that held the crew of Naham 3, who were captured by pirates 800 miles away from Somalia – Moore once again found himself in an unlikely but comforting friendship with men hailing from all over the world!
China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia and even Spain; although unable to converse fluently in any language apart from English – Moore somehow managed to form conversational lingua franca utilizing pidgin constructed from all of these languages!
It was certainly not ideal circumstances but it no doubt provided a brief respite from the darkness of isolation forMoore as he adjusted to his new reality in captivity.
Khat Addiction Influenced The Habits And Beliefs Of Somali Pirates
The pirates Moore encountered during his time in Somali had many contradictory qualities.
For one thing, they were all hooked on Khat, a plant whose leaves produce a stimulant effect when chewed.
It was so widespread that it rivaled the prevalence of alcohol in Western countries yet it was also incredibly addictive and expensive to maintain.
The pirates would spend up to twenty dollars a day for their khat habit, and some as much as six hundred dollars a month.
Their addiction also seemed to influence their behavior; the whole rhythm of the day was built around getting high on khat.
But even more paradoxically, despite being heavily addicted thieves, many of them still saw themselves as devout Muslims.
They would pray five times a day without fail and justify the theft by saying that Islam allowed for such exceptions due to the crisis in Somalia.
Bashko even went so far as to say that the Koran orders Muslims to fight against infidels, thus theft was justified if it only affected non-Muslims.
Moreover, other pirates used environmental injustices committed by Westerners as justification for piracy which is quite ironic considering what they do!
Altogether, there is no denying that these pirates were walking contradictions who did not fit into any set labels or expectations.
Pirates Make Insane And Ludicrous Demands When Negotiating A Deal
When Stephen Moore was kidnapped, it became immediately evident to him that the hostage negotiations were going to be difficult.
From the onset, the pirates issued an exorbitant ransom demand of 20 million dollars – an amount no one could raise in such a short period of time.
The conversations over telephone proved even more peculiar, as their demands fluctuated between impossible tasks and impractical requests for President Obama’s acknowledgment letters.
More specifically, regardless of how much his mother and friends offered to pay for ransom throughout negotiations, the pirates refused to budge from their initial amount and continued to withhold rationality from their dialogue.
To make matters worse, Mohamed Garfanji – mastermind behind Moore’s captivity – insisted on being recognized as primary negotiator while communicating through oppressive yelling in the background.
Considering these seemingly purposeless hostage negotiations, it was clear that these pirates failed to adhere to basic negotiation principles or set realistic goals.
In light of this fact, Stephen Moore found himself increasingly frustrated with their inconsistency and irrationality and was subjected to severe mental exhaustion regarding his case.
Embracing The Present And Letting Go Of Bitterness: How One Hostage Found Freedom In Captivity
When it comes to being a hostage, there’s not just a fear of the unknown – the situation can become incredibly tedious.
For Moore, this feeling of dullness was amplified due to his lack of stimulation and knowledge of what may happen in any given day.
The monotony began negatively affecting Moore’s mental health.
He was constantly moved from place to place without warning, he was often prohibited from doing anything physically activity and he had no way to stay connected with the outside world.
It was during his captivity that Moore began considering suicide as an option for escape.
In order to remain strong and cope with his captors, Moore found solace in personal routines like yoga for physical exercise and a radio for keeping him up-to-date on current events.
He also drew strength from thinking about his loved ones and realizing how much his death would affect them emotionally.
But ultimately, it was when he happened upon a series of statements by Pope Francis that Moore experienced a shift in perspective from viewing himself solely as a victim to understanding his own moral debt towards those working tirelessly for his freedom.
This enabled him to release anger towards those who held him captive and instead focus on living in the moment instead of dwelling on past problems or worrying about the future.
From Hostage To Home: A Journey Of Recovery And Acceptance
After nearly three years in captivity, Moore’s release came as a surprise.
One day, he woke up to find himself presented with a phone by his captors, which usually meant yet another hostage negotiator.
Without any real expectations, Moore spoke with the negotiator and was grilled with some questions but it quickly became clear that this time something extraordinary was happening.
The guards ordered him to be ready within minutes and told him to get into the Land Rover idling outside – he was finally free.
Despite being uncertain of what exactly was going on due to all of the false promises of releasing him before, Moore carefully got into the car and followed its winding path through Galkayo; past schools, mosques and medical clinics that brought a strange blend of familiarity and unease for the former hostage.
Finally arriving at Galkayo Airport, Moore was escorted onto a plane driven by Derek after his mother had hired him to bring her son safely back home.
Nine-hundred seventy seven days since his capture began it would end with an unbelievably liberating freedom and life could start again in Berlin.
Wrap Up
The final summary of Michael Scott Moore’s The Desert and the Sea is that even in extreme circumstances, it’s possible to make it through.
Though his time as a hostage was tense, tedious, and terrifying, he found himself learning lessons along the way on how to find inner peace and joy even in difficult situations.
He learned to let go of negative emotions, temper false expectations, and live in the moment – all of which gave him strength to survive his ordeal.
In the end, this powerful story can offer something for everyone – no matter our circumstance – reminding us that we can make it through whatever life throws at us.
