A couple in France could be facing a legal battle after attempting to name their newborn son “Jihad.”
The town hall in Léguevin, outside the southern city of Toulouse, reported the name to the public prosecutor after the couple tried to register the Arabic name for their baby, who was born on Aug. 2.
“Jihad,”often translated as “holy war,” is associated with Islamic terrorists’ fight against non-Muslims. The Merriam–Webster dictionary also says it can be translated as “a personal struggle in devotion to Islam.”
Naming a baby Jihad could trigger Article 57 of the French civil code, which says that parents have to choose a name that is in the best interest of their child.
If they do not, as per the town clerk’s discretion, they must inform the public prosecutor.
The name is likely to cause controversy in France, given the series of Islamic terrorist attacks by jihadis in recent years.
On Nov. 13, 2015, Paris was paralyzed after gunfire and bombs around the city killed 130 people. The attacks were later claimed by the ISIS terrorist group. Earlier that year, terrorists with allegiances to an al-Qaeda affiliate made their way into the offices of satirical newspaper “Charlie Hebdo” and killed 12 people.
“He/she does it for the sake of the child,” he explained.
In 2013, a mother in the city of Nimes made headlines for sending her 3-year-old son named Jihad to school with a shirt that read “I am a bomb” on the front, and “Born on September 11th” on the back.
The mother was given a one-month suspended jail sentence and the uncle, who bought the sweater, a 4,000 euro fine and 2-month jail sentence for “glorifying a crime.”