Wasta
Wasta
Concept of nepotism prevalent in the Middle East
Wasta or wāsita (Arabic: واسِطة, romanized: wāsiṭah) is an Arabic word that loosely translates into nepotism or 'clout'. It refers to using one's connections and/or influence to get one's way, usually in governmental matters such as preferential treatment in expedited document-issuing, visa approval, waiving of fines or misdemeanor charges and similar corrupt practices. The term is also extended to cronyism and nepotism in allotment of public sector jobs.
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In other words, wasta constitutes a form of favoritism, or what is informally spoken of in English as "pull" from connections (the opposite of "push"). The English word cronyism overlaps in meaning but is not precisely the same. Roughly equivalent words in other languages include sociolismo in Cuba; blat in Russia; guanxi in Chinese and Vetternwirtschaft in German, protektzia in Israeli slang, un pituto in Chilean Spanish. In Brazilian-Portuguese it is referred to as "pistolão", "QI" (Quem Indica, or Who Indicates), or in the slang "peixada", "Pidi Padu" in Malayalam language spoken region of India, "arka" or "destek" or "torpil" in Turkish, "plecy" in Polish, "štela" in Bosnian,"veza" in Serbian "Piston" in French.