נעים זילכה

Naim Zilkha (1879-1929), jurist, born in Baghdad, Iraq (then part of the Ottoman Empire). He began to practice law there in 1904. From 1908 he was a member of the Beirut Court of Appeals, becoming deputy president. Zilkha returned to Iraq in 1921and was deputy president of the Basra civil courts and in 1922 president of the Diyala province civil courts. From 1925 until his death he was a member of the Iraqi house of representatives and courageously opposed the government when he felt the need to do so. From 1925 he lectured at the Baghdad Law School. Zilkha  was active in the Jewish community and was responsible for its secular affairs, trying to introduce reforms and reduce the influence of the religious leaders and the rich.