RAEL’S COMMENT:
A great victory for freedom lovers. Thank you UCLA!
A couple in the US state of Georgia have won their legal battle to give their baby daughter the surname Allah.
The state had refused to issue a birth certificate for ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah on the grounds that neither parent has that last name.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the case, called the decision a victory for free expression.
But the largest Muslim advocacy group in the US said the surname could be considered offensive.
The Georgia Department of Health had initially said the one-year-old daughter of parents Elizabeth Handy and Bilal Walk should have either of their surnames, or a combination of both.
But the parents said their sons – aged three and 17 – had both been allowed the surname Allah.
Georgia law requires officials to allow any name as long as it is not considered provocative or offensive.
However, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said using Allah as a surname was culturally insensitive.
Director Nihad Awad said several Arabic names refer to God, such as Abdullah, which means « servant of God ».
But he added: « You would never use just Allah. That would be considered very inappropriate. »
« This is an important vindication of parental rights, » said Andrea Young of the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped the parents to sue the state.
« No one wants to live in a world where the government can dictate what you can and cannot name your child, » she added.
The parents, who are expecting their fourth child soon, welcomed the state’s decision, which allows the child to have a social security number, enrol in school and, if necessary, receive government benefits such as food stamps.
In March, the couple told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they had chosen the name because it is « noble », not for religious reasons.
Révéler les dangers dus à l’utilisation du papier toilette
COMMENTAIRE DE RAËL : Et 8 milliards de personnes l’utilisent tous les matins… et tirent la chasse d’eau !