What is the truth about a tribal sheikh in Anbar blowing up a guesthouse with a hand grenade because there was no spoon in a cup of tea?
Circulated on social media, the following news: "A tribal sheikh in Anbar ends up blowing up a guesthouse with a hand grenade because of a tea glass without a spoon."
The Truth
Our team conducted a research to verify the claim that a tribal sheikh in Al Anbar province, western Iraq, threw a hand grenade inside a guesthouse because there was no spoon in the tea cup. It turned out to be false, and none of the local media outlets reported this news.
When searching Facebook using keywords from fake news, it turned out that it had been published last year with a claim that the incident happened in Basra province, southern Iraq, without any source to prove its validity.
Brigadier General (Nebras Mohamed), the director of the Anti-Rumors Department at the Ministry of Interior, denied the validity of the circulated news after contacting him, confirming that such an incident did not occur.
Tea as a Medium for Reconciliation
In guesthouses, tea holds an important place in the council, not just as a hospitality drink, but as a social medium around which discussions related to important social matters, such as resolving disputes, paying off debts, or making marriage proposals, take place.
Guesthouses and councils have traditions when serving tea, which can cause significant problems for the host if the person serving the tea is not aware of them. The tea tray, when served, should start with the oldest or highest-ranking person, then continue to the right until everyone has their tea cups.
As for the serving cups, which in guesthouses are limited to "istikans," they must be filled to the brim, otherwise, it is considered an insult to the person. The spoon has a special importance when serving tea; it should be placed on the saucer and not inside the cup, as this is considered a grave insult to the guest and can lead to a major conflict, especially if there is a tribal issue that needs resolving.