US state grants couple's request to give daughter surname 'Allah'
Nihad Awad, national director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that while many people have names that are derivations of Allah, such as Abdullah, which means "servant of God," using "Allah" as a stand-alone surname was not culturally acceptable
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought a lawsuit, called the decision a victory for free expression, but a top official with the largest U.S. Muslim advocacy group criticized the choice to use the Arabic word for "God" as culturally insensitive. ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah, who will soon turn 2, was born in Atlanta to parents Elizabeth Handy and Bilal Walk, who waited about a year before seeking a birth certificate for the child. While they had no difficulties obtaining birth certificates for their older children, ages 3 and 17, who also have the surname "Allah," a clerk for the Georgia Department of Health blocked the request for the youngest child. Last month, the ACLU filed suit in state court against the leaders of the state department of health and the state office of vital records to compel them to allow the surname chosen by the parents, said Sean J. Young, legal director for the ACLU of Georgia. Georgia law requires that clerks allow any name chosen by the par...
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