The United Nations Security Council has given the Secretary General 90 days to come up with a strategy for dealing with piracy. I have given some thought to the subject and offer my opinion as to what may have beneficial results: Bring back crucifixion.
This simple strategy against the pirates in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, and in the Straits of Malacca, is worth trying. Acts of piracy are on the increase. Holding ships and people for ransom are outrageous criminal acts.
There is no indication that any pirates are acting out against "oppression by infidels" or any other reason often quoted by terrorists. Pirates are not terrorists. They are pure and simple brigands, criminals, murderers and all-around low life's. There is no political movement supporting piracy, no claim to desire a Kingdom of Pirates under any law, man or God's.
We know that Caesar crucified pirates who had kidnapped him and held him for ransom, (admittedly he never succeeded in putting an end to piracy.) Although crucifixion has largely fallen out of style in the Western world, as recently as 2003 an Englishman was sentenced in Saudi Arabia to partial beheading and crucifixion. Partial beheading and crucifixion is one of the punishments known under sharia (traditional Islamic law) as al-hadd, the limit, a reference to the ultimate sanction allowed by God.
Although the Englishman's sentence was not carried out,Saudi Arabia reportedly crucified two highway robbers a few years ago.
We ought not to adopt Islamic law totally in the Western world but in dealing with people to whom Western law (arrests, lawyers, courts, trials, juries, prison sentences, fines, parole, and eventual release) has no fear factor then we should deal with in terms they may well understand and appreciate.
Ships can try to defend themselves with heavy water cannons and ear splitting music to ward off pirates. They may also "pour on the coal" and outrun pirates usually attacking in smaller boats. But it is worth considering the potential payback to catching and crucifying a few pirates and letting them rot in the sun for three days to a week.
Dr. C. Truman Davis* more than 30 years ago wrote an essay on crucifixion which describes the grisly procedure in detail and is worthy of reading. Many pirates may not be able to read and thus may not be scared off, but seeing their buddies Ali, Hosea and whoever hanging on a cross rotting in the hot African sun may well send a message to other pirates to consider a new line of work.
(* Dr. C. Truman Davis is a nationally respected Ophthalmologist, vice president of the American Association of Ophthalmology, and an active figure in the Christian schools movement. He is founder and president of the excellent Trinity Christian School in Mesa Arizona, and a trustee of Grove City College.)
