Hostage Accounts From The Barbary Pirates Era

Our current war against Islamism is not the first time we, as a nation, has faced off against the Islamic Jihad. Muslims pirates seized American ships shortly after the founding of this nation, and our first foreign war was against the Barbary Pirates. Thomas Jefferson, in fact, procured a copy of the Koran in order to better understand the enemy. We wound up fighting two wars against the Barbary States, which were connected to the Muslim caliphate known as the Ottoman Empire.

Was the Islamists as ruthless then as they are now? What about the conditions of the captured? Were the hostages help by the Barbary Pirates treated fairly? Why did the United States Marines see the need to wear leather collars (hence, the term Leathernecks) during these wars? Is their a similarity to the Somali Pirates of today?

Vicki Claudio founded Pray for the Hostages in 2008 after writing about piracy and hostage issues for several years. She has a B.A. in Liberal Studies from the University of Central Florida, and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in History at UCF. She currently serves as Editorial Director of the As a Matter of Faith online ministry, and co-hosts the daily Pray for the Hostages radio show and the Earthly Road, Heavenly Walk Evening Prayer podcast. She also serves as a lector at St. Philips Anglican Church.

Tonight, on a special Monday Night broadcast of Political Pistachio Radio, she is our guest to discuss the book, A Pastoral Letter to the Captives, and other works: Selected Hostage accounts from the Barbary Pirates Era. Join us live at 7:00 pm Pacific, or listen to the archive later, HERE.