Surrendering to sectarianism: Iraq's Sunnis change their names

When Karim Hamadi al-Luhaibi tried to change his son's name he found the procedure faster and easier than any previous interactions he has had with government officials.

He did not have to pay certain fees, and there was a rare smile on the face of the government employee who handed him his son's new ID card.

The new card changed his first name from Omar to Ammar and omitted his tribal name, al-Luhaibi. Tribal names indicate sect, and the name al-Luhaibi shows his family is originally from Anbar, a predominantly Sunni province. 

The Luhaibi family decided to change their son's name because people treat him suspiciously when he tries to register at official places such as university or hospital or when he passes through army checkpoints.

Luhaibi told al-Araby al-Jadeed he submitted a formal request to the Civil Status Court which referred the application to the Bureau of National Census. The court also published an announcement in the paper for ten days after which the application was approved.

Post US-occupation

Nouzad Sabah, an Iraqi writer and journalist, said before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 only people with embarrassing or old-fashioned names could change them. 

The government has failed to grant citizens their most basic right: to keep the names or their choice.

He told al-Araby al-Jadeed people began changing their names for other reasons after the US occupation. Initially, those called after Saddam Hussein would change their names.

However, after the Samarra shrine was bombed in February 2006 many Sunnis changed their names to avoid being killed or kidnapped by militia members.

Sahab argues "Omar" is the most risky name to have. He refers to one of the most violent videos shown on Youtube of members of the Shia Mahdi militia celebrating the execution of men called Omar in eastern Baghdad. 

Yassin Mohsen al-Hayani, a lawyer who specialises in civil status law, argues that Article 20 of Iraqi Civil Status Law No. 65 from 1972 says only socially dishonourable names can be changed. 

Hayani interpreted this to mean old-fashioned and ugly names reflecting an old but undesirable custom of giving a baby an ugly name to protect it from sickness and accidents.

He claims that Article 21 of Law 65 says once someone has changed their name they cannot revert back to their original one if the current sectarian hysteria ends.

The government is making unprecedented efforts to help those wanting to change their names, he argues. Offices are being kept open for longer to accept applications, and new ID cards are being issued for nominal fees.

State encouragement

Ali al-Luaibi, an officer from the department of civil affairs, told al-Araby al-Jadeed increasing numbers are trying to change their names, because of the security situation and sectarian tensions.

Ali Karji al-Halbousi, a sociology professor, told al-Araby al-Jadeed the government should not be helping people change their names, it should be removing the reasons why they want to change them in the first place, and protecting the country's sectarian and ethnic diversity.

He argues the situation in Iraqi is unique, because never before has a government encouraged its citizens to change their names.

The professor argues the government has failed to grant citizens their most basic right: the right to keep the names or their choice.

This article is an edited version from our Arabic edition.