bouizeri/an/conf/marital

The Kabylian community (Zouaoua) was under the tribal system since many years. Its system of rules is a blend of Islamic rules and the local customs.

First: The institutions of the Kabylian society:

I. At the level of the village.

1. The Village Council: it is a kind of small parliament that consists of mature and responsible men. Its role is to make laws that must be obeyed and applied by all the villagers. This council meets regularly and periodically.

2. The secretary: (the president of the council) he is responsible for good management of the village. He is selected from the most influential and powerful family in the village. Among his duties:

¨ To hold the presidency of the Village Council.

¨ To execute its decisions and recommendations.

¨ To prepare the affairs that would be discussed in the council.

¨ To receive the villagers’ complains and claims.

¨ To manage the common property.

¨ To represent the village outside.

¨ To prepare the sale and lease contracts.

¨ To collect the fines imposed by the “Village Council” on the outlawed who violated the village’s rules.

3. Tamen: he is the one who represents his district in the Village council. He guarantees the council’s rights from the part of his village. He is also charged with informing his district’s members about the decision of the council, and introducing both the families’ and individual’s complains and grievances to the council.

4. The procurator (Attorney): he is the treasurer of the village. He is charged with collecting its incomes such as: donations, fines imposed on those who violate the established rules of the village, and the incomes of the common properties.

5. The Imam: he is deeply respected by the villagers. He is entrusted with religious matters and teaching kids. In addition, he records the decisions and the rules made by the Village Council.

II. At the level of the tribe: A tribe is assigned the defensive task against the external enemy, whereas the internal affairs are in charge of the Village Council, each village separately.

The tribe is ruled by the Secretary of the tribe. He is selected by the secretaries of the villages. Among his tasks:

¨ To represent his tribe and preserve its interests outside in peacetime.

¨ To act as a referee between the villages.

¨ To keep peace and security within the villages which constitute the tribe.

A tribe consists of several villages united within a federal system, for example, Ait Yahia tribe in Ain Al-Hammam consists of the following villages:

¨ Taqa Ait Yahia.

¨ Iqufaf.

¨ Ait Hicham.

¨ Ait Ziri.

¨ Issendlan.

¨ Koukou.

¨ Taguentis.

¨ Agni Issaâd.

¨ Ait Zellal.

¨ Lemkharda.

¨ Boudfaâl.

Second: The system of law in the Kabylian community.

It is divided into tow parts:

The first part deals with the local customs and traditions, for example.

¨ Mutual help is obligatory between the inhabitants in building mosques, paving the roads, and repairing spring waters.

¨ Good hospitality to strangers.

¨ To divide times of bringing water from the spring water for men and women.

The second parts deals with different crimes, misdemeanors and infringement, for example:

¨ To incriminate all types of theft.

¨ To criminate quarrels and insults between the inhabitants.

¨ To criminate polluting the water spring.

Among the penalties for the crimes above mentioned the following ones: banishment from the village, fining the outlaws, and different reprimands.

The source of these penalties is the Islamic charia and the local customs.

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