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Row over "Jihad"

Berlin: The German Interior Ministry is appealing against a decision by the Berlin authorities to allow an Islamist to name his son Jihad, the Arabic word used for holy war. Reda Seyam fought for 18 months for permission to give his sixth child the name after the registry in the Berlin district of Charlottenburg initially rejected his application, saying the name was inappropriate because of its association with terrorism, and ``may endanger the child.'' This week a court overturned the ruling, on the grounds that Jihad was ``a recognised male forename in the Arab world.'' Mr. Seyam (47), a self-declared Islamist, was shown on television defending terror attacks. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007

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