Call Me American

At the beginning of October 2005, Abdi is woken by loud noises from the street. A total eclipse is whipping people into a frenzy; they claim it is a religious sign. The eclipse passes and people return home; Abdi dismisses the event as the fevered imaginings of the city’s strict Islamists.

Though Somalia now has a government, the warlords have refused to abandon Mogadishu. They now make millions of dollars as pirates targeting American ships. They also receive money from the United States to track down any Islamist terrorists hiding in Somalia. There is a purge of religious scholars in Mogadishu, which culminates in the shocking assassination of an important religious leader. Public opinion turns against the West-backed warlords and the chaos they have created. The country’s religious community establishes Islamic courts and trains a religious army in secret. A multi-clan uprising led by Islamists brings months of violent clashes. Anyone who resists Islamic law is killed. Though the religious laws are strict, people are happy to see the end of the anarchy in Mogadishu. By April 2006, most of Mogadishu is under Islamist control. A rebuilding process begins.

Abdi helps his mother drum up business for her newly bustling market kiosk.