When Capt. William Bainbridge’s ship, the George Washington , was seized by the Algerian leader Hussan Dey and forced to carry tribute to the Ottoman rulers in Istabul, his men decided to take their revenge. According to Michael Oren ( Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present ), “His crew found sophomoric relief by tacking hard during the Muslims’ prayers, laughing as the prostrate worshipers slid across the deck and struggled to keep oriented toward Mecca.”