February 26, 2021
An Azerbaijani family in Iran has a seven-month-old girl who is unnamed because the government office in Ardebil won’t accept the family’s choice for a name.
“We wanted to name our daughter Ayil, which means ‘awakening’ or ‘revival’ in Azerbaijani Turkish. The birth registration office, however, does not accept the name, saying it is not in their list,” Seccad Colani told Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency. “My daughter is now seven months old.”
Unless special permission is granted, families in the Islamic Republic can only give their children one of the names on a list published by the state. There are few Turkish names on the list.
“It’s not just a matter of naming, but a matter of rights and identity. We want to give our children Turkish names that reflect our culture and preferences,” the 34-year-old visually-impaired street musician said.
He lamented that because the baby has no ID card, his daughter is not eligible for health care benefits. “My daughter underwent cataract operations three times. Our financial means are limited, we cannot afford hospital expenses,” Colani told his interviewer.