{UAH} Saudi Arabia bans names like Abbey, Linda, Katerega, Jessy?
Saudi Arabia bans anyone from naming their children Linda
- Interior ministry justified ban by saying name sounds 'foreign'
- They are either considered blasphemous, or were 'inappropriate'
- Not all the names are normally considered offensive to Muslims
- Binyamin is banned. It happens is the name of the Israeli PM
- Also included are Alice, Elaine, Lauren, Sandy and Maya
By Leon Watson
PUBLISHED: 16:51 GMT, 13 March 2014 | UPDATED: 16:56 GMT, 13 March 2014
Saudi Arabia has issued a list of 50 names new parents are banned from giving their children, including Linda, Lauren, Sandy and Amir.
The Arab nation's interior ministry justified the ban by saying the names either contradicted the culture or religion of the kingdom, or were foreign, or 'inappropriate'.
Among the others are Alice, Elaine and Maya and Binyamin, the Arabic name for Benjamin.
International fashion model Linda Evangelista would not be able to name a child after herself in Saudi Arabia under new rules
Paul McCartney's late wife Linda McCartney, pictured here with her range of vegetarian food in 1991, would have been frowned at by the authorities in Saudi Arabia because of her name
The names fit into at least three categories: those that offend perceived religious sensibilities, those that are affiliated to royalty and those that are of non-Arabic or non-Islamic origin, Gulf News reported.
A number of other names appear that do not necessarily fit into any category and it is therefore unclear as to why they would have been banned.
Names such as Abdul Naser and Binyamin are not found to be particularly offensive to Muslims.
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Binyamin is believed in Islam to be the son of Prophet Jacob (Yaqoub) and the full brother of Prophet Joseph, but it also happens to be the name of the Israeli prime minister.
Abdul Naser, similarly, is the name of the famous Arab nationalist ruler of Egypt, who was at odds with Saudi Arabia.
Names such as Abdul Nabi and Abdul Hussain, common among Shiites and some Sunni Arabs, are controversial because of the multiple ways in which they can be interpreted.
The name Binyamin has been banned, perhaps it is because it's the first name of the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu
Fans of the 1978 film Grease would not be able to name their child after their favourite character if it was Sandy, played here be Olivia Newton-John (left). Danny, played by John Travolata (right), would be OK though
Royal visit: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who has 38 children by many wives, is pictured with the Queen in London in 2007. His country has no problem with the name Elizabeth
Abdul in Arabic means 'worshipper of' or 'slave of', while Nabi means 'prophet' and Rasool means 'messenger'.
Those who oppose such names argue that Abdul means 'worshipper of' and is therefore forbidden as only God can be worshipped.
Most Muslim names with Abdul carry one of God's 99 Islamic names. Abdul Rahman, for example, comes from the name Al Rahman.
Another set of names that is banned includes those that have to do with royalty, especially titles such as Sumuw (highness), Malek (king) and Malika (Queen) and other royal terms such as Al Mamlaka (the kingdom).
Some of the names on the list are not uncommon among Arabs, including Malak (angel), Amir (prince), Abdul Naser and Jibreel (Gabriel).
THE CHILDREN'S NAMES NOW BANNED IN SAUDI ARABIA
Malaak (angel)
Abdul Aati
Abdul Naser
Abdul Musleh
Nabi (prophet)
Nabiyya (female prophet)
Amir (prince)
Sumuw (highness)
Al Mamlaka (the kingdom)
Malika (queen)
Mamlaka (kingdom)
Tabarak (blessed)
Nardeen
Maya
Linda
Randa
Basmala (utterance of the name of God)
Taline
Aram
Nareej
Rital
Alice
Sandy
Rama (Hindu god)
Maline
Elaine
Inar
Maliktina
Lareen
Kibrial
Lauren
Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin)
Naris
Yara
Sitav
Loland
Tilaj
Barrah
Abdul Nabi
Abdul Rasool
Jibreel (angel Gabriel)
Abdul Mu’een
Abrar
Iman
Bayan
Baseel
Wireelam
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