Word: sheiking
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...desert democracy. That is the majlis (Arabic for a "sitting," although the word can also mean "council," or even "parliament"). According to Arab custom, reinforced by a 1952 decree of King Abdul Aziz, every subject has the right of access to his ruler, whether the ruler is a tribal sheik, a governor or the monarch himself, to present petitions of complaint or pleas for help. Even the poorest Saudi can approach his sovereign to plead a cause; functionaries of the royal court found guilty of improperly turning aside a petitioner face severe punishment...
...trouble all started at the Century Plaza Hotel, where the sheik was staying. Waiter Mario Rivas claims he delivered a basket of fruit to the sheik's room and that the sheik was furious because the food was two hours late...
...sheik, according to Rivas, slapped him across the face, inflicting what Rivas' lawyers call "an ear injury and trauma to the right cheek...
Attorney Marshall Bitkower filed suit against the sheik, asking for $2 million. Fearing that the sheik might soon leave the country, Bitkower decided to serve the papers himself. The sheik, it seems, had been expecting one of his own lawyers; he invited Bitkower up and gave him a $20 tip for his trouble. When he discovered his mistake, he was furious again. Said he: "I'm going to see to it that you go to jail...
...sheik denies the whole incident. "I would never order a basket of fruit," he declares. "I am a diabetic and do not eat sweets or fruit...