Mukhtar

A mukhtar (Arabic: مختار, romanized: mukhtār, lit. 'chosen one';^[1] Greek: μουχτάρης) is a village chief in the Levant: "an old institution that goes back to the time of the Ottoman rule".^[1] According to Amir S. Cheshin, Bill Hutman and Avi Melamed, the mukhtar "for centuries were the central figures".^[2] They "were not restricted to Muslim communities"; even "Christian and Jewish communities in the Arab world also had mukhtars."^[2]

Mukhtars are headmen or clan elders. They traditionally linked villagers with the state bureaucracy. Some of the mukhtar’s duties included registering life events (births, marriages, etc.) and notarizing documents.^[3] Quoting Tore Björgo: "The mukhtar was, among other things, responsible for collecting taxes and ensuring that law and order was prevailing in his village".^[4]

^ ^a ^b Amara, Muhammad (1999). Politics and Sociolinguistic Reflexes: Palestinian Border Villages. John Benjamins. p. 251. ISBN 90-272-4128-7.
^ ^a ^b Cheshin, Amir S.; Hutman, Bill; Melamed, Avi (2009). Separate and Unequal. Harvard University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-674-02952-1.
^ "Inside Gaza: The Challenges of Clans and Families" (PDF). International Crisis Group. 20 December 2007.
^ Björgo, Tore (1987). Conspiracy Rhetoric in Arab Politics: The Palestinian Case. p. 46.

[Amara-1] Amara, Muhammad (1999). Politics and Sociolinguistic Reflexes: Palestinian Border Villages. John Benjamins. p. 251. ISBN 90-272-4128-7.

[Cheshin-2] Cheshin, Amir S.; Hutman, Bill; Melamed, Avi (2009). Separate and Unequal. Harvard University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-674-02952-1.

[:0-3] "Inside Gaza: The Challenges of Clans and Families" (PDF). International Crisis Group. 20 December 2007.

[4] Björgo, Tore (1987). Conspiracy Rhetoric in Arab Politics: The Palestinian Case. p. 46.

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