Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry has banned names they argue contradict the culture or religion of the Kingdom.
The civil affairs department at the ministry issued a list of 50 prohibited names, among which are Linda, Alice, Elaine, or Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin).
Binyamin is believed in Islam to be the son of Prophet Jacob, incidentally is also the name of the current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to reports, parents will no longer be able to call their children these banned names.
Independent UK reports:
Some names on the list are allegedly banned by the interior ministry because they are considered “blasphemous,” non-Arabic or non-Islamic, or contradictory to the kingdom’s culture or religion, Gulf News has reported.
The ban was also allegedly justified by the ministry because some of the names were deemed foreign or “inappropriate”.
Other sets of forbidden names include those with royal connotations, such as Sumuw (highness), Malek (king) and Malika (queen).
Some on the list do not fit into any of these categories however, leaving the reason for banning them open to speculation.
The full list of forbidden names as reported in Gulf News is listed below:
Malaak (angel)
Abdul Aati
Abdul Naser
Abdul Musleh
Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin)
Naris
Yara
Sitav
Loland
Tilaj
Barrah
Abdul Nabi
Abdul Rasool
Sumuw (highness)
Al Mamlaka (the kingdom)
Malika (queen)
Mamlaka (kingdom)
Tabarak (blessed)
Nardeen
Sandy
Rama (Hindu god)
Maline
Elaine
Inar
Maliktina
Maya
Linda
Randa
Basmala (utterance of the name of God)
Jibreel (angel Gabriel)
Abdul Mu’een
Abrar
Iman
Bayan
Baseel
Wireelam
Nabi (prophet)
Nabiyya (female prophet)
Amir (prince)
Taline
Aram
Nareej
Rital
Alice
Lareen
Kibrial
Lauren
