Paper short abstract:

This paper argues the influence of Somali crisis on local and diasporic Somalians, through the narrative of Nuruddin Farah. In his latest work "Crossbones", Farah points out the superficiality of Somali piracy, digs out the real causes behind the appearances, and adds “religionists’ militancy” to the picture.

Paper long abstract:

Somalia has been the issue of both local and international debates since colonization, but has recently become the symbol of Islamic fundamentalist activities in the region. This ongoing conflict in Somalia, with the invasion of Ethiopia and the intervention of international forces, has led to general corruption and the abuse of the area by traditional clan elders and armed clan militia to further their political agenda. The 'statelessness' of Somalia is the result of this inconvenience; unfortunately, the region is open to different kinds of dilemmas.

In his recent published book "Crossbones", Farah rejects the view that piracy of Somalian fishermen is the result of their greed to ameliorate their material conditions, and insists that they are trying to protect their own resources as a means of earning a living. He lifts the lid on the situation and asks: If these Somalians earn what they have by piracy, and are believed to be living a lavish life, why, then, is Somalia deplorably underdeveloped? Farah finds the answer to this question by learning the truth that the ransom taken from the other party is shared by external players; Somalis have either little or nothing at the end. We argue that Farah creates a fictional world to advance the view that the religious groups, like al-Shabaab, have used this bad image of Somalia, and tried to grab political power for themselves by using religion-Islam-as a repressive force.