- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

God’s Willing: Georgia Parents Win Fight to Name Their Child ‘Allah’

© The Atlanta Journal ConsitutionGeorgia parents win the right to give their daughter the surname, 'Allah'.
Georgia parents win the right to give their daughter the surname, 'Allah'. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
A civil rights organization in Georgia is dropping a lawsuit they leveled against the state for not allowing a couple to name their baby “Allah,” saying that the state has relented.

State law requires that a baby must either take the surname of its mother or father, and a Department of Public Health lawyer arguing that this must legally prevent Bilal Walk and Elizabeth Handy from naming their daughter ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah. 

President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama talk on the East front steps of the US Capitol after inauguration ceremonies on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. - Sputnik International
World
Pro-Trump Malik Obama Trolls Half-Brother Barack With Fake Birth Certificate

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia sued on the couple’s behalf last month, and on Thursday said that after 23 months they were dropping the suit after the Health Department issued a birth certificate with the desired name to the child.

At the time the ACLU argued that not having a birth certificate would make it difficult for Walk and Handy to enroll their daughter in school, obtain food stamps or receive medical coverage.

The couple’s three-year-old son, Masterful Allah, was able to obtain a birth certificate with no difficulty.

An original score at the Royal College of Music, London - Sputnik International
Austrian Parents Shocked After Deity Name Switched to Allah in School Song

In March, family attorney Michael Baumrind  was quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, saying, "The state has no business determining if a name is satisfactory. The parents get to decide the name of the child. Not the state. It is an easy case."

Walk said at the time, "We have to make sure that the state isn’t overstepping their boundaries … It is just plainly unfair and a violation of our rights."

After the certificate was issued, ACLU of Georgia Executive Director Andrea Young said in a news release, "This is an important vindication of parental rights and a long-overdue victory for Elizabeth and Bilal … No one wants to live in a world where the government can dictate what you can and cannot name your child. It goes against our values, the legislature's intent, and the plain language of the law."

Born on March 25, 2015, ZalyKha’s parents say her name was chosen because it was “noble,” and though Allah is the Arabic word for God, they say it has no religious connotation for them.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала