the country would adopt a new constitution that would go on to declare Somalia an Islamic state whose primary source of law was Shari‘a. History Origins The Islamic courts were not the first attempt to use Islam in an attempt to quell the growing disorder in Somalia. Just before the dictatorship had been toppled in 1991, a group of sixty highly prominent members of Somali society, under the banner of "Islamic Call", published a public manifesto addressed to President Mohammed Siad Barre. The manifesto warned that he had committed serious transgressions against the laws of Islam and unsuccessfully called for him to peacefully step down from power. The first attempts to use Islamic law (Shari'a) to build local stability began sometime in 1992, in the northern part of the Somali capital Mogadishu, in attempt to address the spiraling chaos and lawlessness that was gripping the country following the toppling of the Barre regime and the brutal clan driven civil war. The first Shari'a courts were started on a very small local neighbourhood level by Somali religious leaders as a way to address issues in their communities. Most problems they dealt with were related to petty crimes and family disputes. In the chaotic political context of war torn Mogadishu the religious leaders were considered by most Somalis as some of the only people who could be trusted to impartially resolve disputes. Importantly, the courts also did not take positions on national-political or clan affairs, lending significant credence to their purported impartiality. The Sheikh Ali-Dhere court In either 1993 or 1994 (the precise year is difficult to determine due to the chaos of the civil war) a Sheikh named Ali Dheere, living in one of the most dangerous regions of Mogadishu had become exhausted with the growing anarchy and decided to put his religious training to use and set up the first known Shar'ia court in Somalia. The infamous "Siisii Street" ran through his community, and was notorious for being one of the most dangerous roads in war torn Mogadishu. Primarily his court focused on aiding merchants and store owners resolve their disputes, helping people arrange legal agreements for large purchases like homes, and trying people for crimes. Local scholars, elders, businessmen and political leaders cooperated with Dheere in a bid to end the spiraling chaos in their community. Soon Ali Dheere had a staff that would apprehend bandits and thieves in