As the Ottoman rule ended, the trend of using honorary titles such as pasha and effendi in the Arab world came to an end. These titles were used out of respect and were equivalent to the English titles of lord and master. As the titles disappeared, people began addressing each other using their names without any labels.
However, it seems that there is some sort of psychological reason that makes some people crave for titles. The past few decades have seen the appearance of “dirham sheikhs” across the Middle East. Businessmen, even the ones who are bankrupt or have debts up to their ears, never forget to call themselves sheikhs. This is in spite of the fact that we all know, and so do these people, that throughout our history these titles have always remained something used by religious scholars, social activists and leaders.
At popular tourist destinations in the Middle East, people have taken advantage of this craving and call tourists by all sorts of titles according to how much they are worth. I had the good opportunity of being called a sheikh at a restaurant in a Middle Eastern city. However, as soon as the waiters saw the meager tip I offered, their attitude changed and it was as if they were declaring me unfit for being a sheikh. Suddenly, from a sheikh and a pasha I became an ordinary effendi, which was pronounced bitterly. It seemed as if they were saying, “You turned out to be a fake sheikh.”
Some title hunters are also known to be greedy enough to claim two titles, such as sheikh and doctor. If the person calls himself a sheikh then he probably has earned the title through his money.
However, the doctor title is something that always puzzles me. People who call themselves doctors tend not to be very scientific, nor do they seem to have published papers.
As long as having money entitles one to be called a sheikh, then I guess we need to set the rules of the game in agreeing how much one should have in order to qualify for the title. Having rules and regulations prevents titles and names from being misused and confused. As for the doctor title, I believe the Ministry of Higher Education has a duty to verify whether this title is being abused or not.
