When conflict arises, these Iraqis go to the madeef
Madeefs have become a popular alternative to the traditional legal system in Iraq, with Iraqis seeking the assistance of tribes to settle disputes and conflicts.
BABIL, Iraq — “Madeef” is an Arabic word used when referring to a place dedicated to receiving guests. In Iraq, this word has a specific social meaning; it is a place where tribe members, leaders and sheikhs meet, socialize and resolve disputes between each other or with other tribes.
Madeefs are popular in Iraq, where people now prefer to solve their problems with the assistance of tribes, instead of going to the police and having to deal with courts.
The civil scene in Iraq has changed amid the weakening of the state, and madeefs play an important role in especially central and southern Iraq.
Al-Monitor met with Mohammed al-Khafaji, a sheep merchant from Babil who resorted to a madeef to settle a dispute over a business deal with another merchant. A tribal madeef session, held in August, resulted in him retrieving $4,000. Khafaji said, “Years of struggle in courts and with the police failed to solve this financial dispute, so I had to resort to the tribe.”
