Culture: Tail of Quarrel of Two Kurdish Aghas

Tefik and Gafur Aghas quarreled over a widower Kurdish woman. A daughter of a well known agha and widower of a well known man, she was known for her beauty and wealth. Each of the man demanded her and threatened to kill each other. As more threats were flying around, both tribes became enemies and conflict between the two Kurdish tribes escalated to a point the English political officer, residing over Iraq, worried about the stability of their colonization in the region. English political officer aka the colonizer sent for both men to attend Serai at Erbil for the same day and the same time in secrecy. Neither one of them knew the other would be there. First Tefik Agha arrived he was taken to a room then Gafur Agha arrived and he too was taken to another room. As they were being usher to be taken to the colonizing officer's room, they came face to face with each other. The English officer said, 

You too are just pair of braggarts. Because you both happened to want the same woman you go about boasting what you will do if you meet and upsetting the whole country. Well now you've met and we will see what happens. I have here two loaded pistols. You are to be taken to the opposite corners of the courtyard outside and each will be given one of them. You can then shoot away each other until only one of you is alive to claim the lady.

He then turned to the police officer to take them to the courtyard. He said, 

Show these gentlemen to courtyard, I have ordered a mule driver to be ready to take the dead one back to his village. 

Tefik Agha looked back at the English officer then the pistol. Shocked at the ridiculous words which were coming out of this ignorant stranger's mouth, said, 

You can't expect us to fight.

Gafur Agha said, 

Absolutely not. We don't fight each other this way. Our men fight.

Clueless colonizer officer asked, 

Will you take the pistols or not.

They responded, 

No.

Colonizer continued, 

Well don't come back to see me again. I will let everyone and the lady know how cowardly humbug you are. I guess she will hear of it anyway.

These two Kurdish aghas found this as some sort of a joke and thought hilarious and broke into laughter. Bonded over the joke and left merrily then normalized their relationship.

Road to Kurdistan.