With Iraqi tribes settling more disputes, sheikhs are in high demand
Not all who rent out their services are real
AFTER DISCOVERING that one of his employees had embezzled $800,000, Saif took him to a court in Baghdad and won. When the thief still did not return the cash, he was thrown in jail. But he was soon released, probably after paying a bribe. Fearing he would never see his money again, Saif began negotiating with the thief’s tribe—or, rather, his rental sheikh did. Saif, who grew up abroad, was unfamiliar with tribal practices, so he hired a tribe to back him and its leader (the sheikh) to represent him.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Rent-a-sheikh”
Middle East & Africa June 1st 2019
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