China bans certain Islamic names in Muslim-dominated region of Xinjiang

Chinese authorities have released a list of some common Muslim names used in Xinjiang region that are forbidden to use for newborns from now on, according to Radio Free Asia report. Twenty-nine names, which are commonly used by the predominantly-Muslim Uighur population of the northwestern region, were featured in the document, entitled ‘Naming Rules for Ethnic Minorities’ and issued last Wednesday, according to Channel NewsAsia.

Names with strong religious meanings like Islam, Koran, Mecca, Imam, Saddam, Hajj, and Medina, as well as names that have “connotations of holy war [Jihad] or of splittism [sic – Xinjiang independence]” are included in the list, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports, citing a police official. However, more neutral names are still allowed. If parents break the ruling, their children won’t be registered in the government household system known as ‘hukou’, which provides access to social services, like healthcare and education, the official added speaking to RFA. READ MORE