Why are Somalia's Islamic Courts so successful in winning hearts and minds?

1. Follow the money.

Somalia’s Islamic Courts recruits take training courses in deep southern Somalia

Asked who was paying the finances to support the training mission, Keynan said, “It is a coordinated cooperation made by local individuals and businesspeople. These young men will be given lessons mainly concerning soldier discipline, Islamic laws and patriotism”.

2. Look at their agenda. The following is from an interview with Sheik Sharif Ahmed. (Regular readers of this blog will find it interesting that he, not boogeyman Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, is described here as being the head of the Somalia Union of Islamic Courts.)

Sheikh Sharif, 42, believes that with time, those who view the courts with suspicion will realise that it has no ulterior motive. It only wants to bring sustainable peace and initiate dialogue among the Somali people. His choice of programmes are centred on restoring order and his agenda is purely domestic.

3. Look at their successes. Here is just one of many examples. After a businessman was murdered in Mogadishu...

The Islamic Courts forces quickly rushed to the scene of the incident and some reports say that Islamists captured the murderer after chasing him down. He is now in custody.