The Chinese government issued a long list of Muslim baby names that have been banned in the Muslim-majority province Xinjiang.
The babies with such names would be deprived of getting education in public schools and other social services of government.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), “Xinjiang authorities have recently banned dozens of names with religious connotations common to Muslims around the world on the basis that they could exaggerate religious fervour.”
The Muslim baby names include Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Saddam, Imam, Hajj and Medina.
According to the reports, the province is confronted with religious conflicts and the move was taken to control the extremism and terrorism in the troubled province.
HRW says such steps are to restrict the ‘religious freedom’ in the name of countering religious extremism.
The full list of names is yet to come.
