China Bans ‘Muhammad’ and ‘Jihad’ as Baby Names in Heavily Muslim Region<br />Sophie Richardson said that Uighur people have to be cautious if they want to give their children names they are happy with,<br />and at the same time avoid punishment from the government.<br />The list of names, a copy of which was provided to The New York Times by Uighur activists, is titled, "List of Banned Ethnic Minority Names." It bans more than two dozen names, including "Mujahid"<br />and "Medina." Security officials in Urumqi and other cities in Xinjiang confirmed the ban.<br />By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZAPRIL 25, 2017<br />BEIJING — The Chinese government, further tightening its grip on Muslims in western China, has prohibited<br />parents from choosing names like "Muhammad," "Arafat" and "Jihad" for their children.<br />Officials described the ban, introduced this month, as part of an effort to "curb religious fervor" in<br />the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 10 million Uighurs, a mostly Muslim minority group.<br />Rights advocates said the ban showed the lengths to which the government would<br />go to limit the civil liberties of Uighurs in the name of fighting terrorism.<br />To combat what officials describe as extremism in Xinjiang, the Chinese government has put in place a series of restrictions in recent years.
