Somalia's Islamic Courts movement "intact" (Reuter)

"When the Islamic Courts came in, things changed. Tribes were united, the port and airport opened, weapons were collected, we even stopped piracy," he said by telephone during a trip to Doha.

"The movement changed people's lives for the better...The Ethiopians and Transitional Federal Government have created violence and genocide...So the support for the (Islamic Courts) movement is more than before." Many in Mogadishu and elsewhere in south Somalia credited the Islamists last year for bringing peace to areas knowing little but warlord rule and anarchy since 1991, when the Horn of Africa nation descended into chaos with the fall of a dictator.

But Somalis, who are generally moderate Muslims, also complained of hardline practices by the SICC such as enforcing dress codes and banning public viewing of films....more