"Call it the Seattle Taliban"
"Central Area mosque was 1990s hub for harsh rule" from The Seattle Times.
The street thugs, junkies and gangbangers who once controlled the Central Area block surrounding the Dar-us-Salaam mosque had more to fear than just police.
In the late 1990s, there was a new law in the neighborhood - sharia, a strict Islamic code - and transgressors were dealt with swiftly and harshly.
Smoking and drinking around the mosque were forbidden. Drug dealers were banished. Disrespect toward women was not tolerated. Prayers were required.
Those rules were enforced by armed patrols who roamed the sidewalks and neighboring businesses. Sometimes, offenders were beaten.