Barjas al-Hadid

Sheikh Barjas Shaher Sail Al-Hadid - (born in 1936), known as Barjas Al Hadid, is Sheikh of the Jordanian Al-Hadid tribe and member of the Parliament of Jordan. As well as being leader of the 30,000-member Balqa Governorate-based Al-Hadid tribe, Barjas Al-Hadid was formerly a member of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. As Sheikh, Al-Hadid's duties have included mediating in disputes, including blood feuds, which arise between Jordanian tribe members, within whose families tribal law still exists. Significant numbers of the Al-Hadid tribe are also found in Syria and Iraq, and the Sheikh has been dispatched to Saudi Arabia and Iraq in order to mediate. Al-Hadid's position as elected Member of Parliament came partially as a result of the large amount of land owned by his tribe and the influence it brings. Between 1947 and 1967 a member of the Hadids occupied a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.

When not engaged on parliamentary, family and private business, Barjas spends his time resolving tribal disputes and Interceding to advance the interests not only of members of his Al-Hadid tribe, but of anyone else who appeals for his assistance.

Barjas Al-Hadid is a pillar of the east bank establishment whose tribal family have offered the ruling Hashemite royal family Indefatigable loyalty since Prince Abdullah arrived in the city of Ma'an in 1921 to claim Transjordan for the Hashemites. "King Hussein was born in 1935" relates Barjas, "for the first 3 months of his life he had a wet nurse who was a Hadid. When my Father Shaher died in 1947, when i was only nine years old, King Abdullah Insisted that he be buried in the royal family's cemetery, above the Raghadan palace in Amman". The Hadid tribal history and hence Barjas' family history is interwoven with the history of Jordan. "We took part in the Arab revolt with Prince Faisal, and we fought against the French in Syria" says Barjas with Pride. "We fought at the battle of Maisaloun, my father Shaher and his cousin Minwer and many from our tribe were there".

In 1957, Al-Hadid attended military college in Cairo, but his education was ended early by a serious injury sustained in a light aircraft. After recovering, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, working at Amir Faisal Military College until 1976. His political career began in 1984, when he joined the Amman City Council, where he served for two years, after which he was appointed to an eight-year term as one of 40 Senators in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. In 1997, Al-Hadid was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the fourth electoral district in Amman; and was reelected in 2003.

Al-Hadid is married to Noof Salim Khair, with whom he has 5 children: Nidal, who was the mayor of Amman, worked in the Jordanian Football Association, and was a FIFA Development Officer for most Arabic countries; Muhammed, a major in the intelligence services; Hussam, a businessman; and his daughters Arwa and Hala. His father, Shaher, and cousin, Minwer, fought in the Arab Revolt which installed King Abdullah as ruler, and took an oath of loyalty to the king. This contributed to the close relationship shared between the two families, and upon his death Shaher was buried in the royal cemetery at Al-Maquar, Amman.