COPENHAGEN,
May 10, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – Danish Muslims are increasingly
giving their new-born babies Islamic names to help preserve their
identity, with that of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon
him) being the most favored choice.
"My
wife and I have agreed to give our boys and girls Islamic names in the
hope they would reflect positively on their personalities," Omran
Tharwat told IslamOnline.net on Wednesday, May 10.
He
named his last baby girl after Prophet Muhammad's wife 'Aisha.
"We
believe she would grow to be proud of that name and work hard to
follow the shining example of 'Aisha," said the father.
Recent
figures by the Danish National Statistics Office show that Muhammad,
Ahmed, Fatima and 'Aisha are few but to mention of the favored choice
among the Muslim minority.
Statistics
indicate that some 8928 Danish Muslims carry the name Muhammad.
In
2004 alone, more than 167 new-born babies were registered with the
Prophet's name.
Fatima,
the Prophet's daughter, and 'Aisha top the choice for Muslim girls.
Muslims
make up around three percent of Denmark’s 5.3 population, making
Islam the second largest religion after the Lutheran Protestant
Church.
Identity
 |
|
Fatima and 'Aisha top the choice for Muslim girls.
|
The
increasing popularity of Muslim names is seen as part of efforts by
Danish Muslims to preserve their identity.
"Danish
Muslims want to help their children preserve their Islamic
identity," Sheikh Mustafa al-Shanded, a social and religious
counselor, told IOL.
He,
however, urged Danish Muslims to pay more attention to teaching their
children about their faith.
The
name Muhammad has become a household name in Denmark after the recent
cartoon crisis.
Last
September, Denmark's mass-circulation daily Jyllands Posten commissioned
and printed 12 caricatures of the Prophet, including one showing him
with a turban shaped like a bomb strapped to his head.
The
images, considered blasphemous under Islam, were later reprinted by
European newspapers.
The
drawings have sparked off global and sometimes violent protests
against Denmark.
A
massive boycott of Danish products has also inflicted heavy losses on
Danish companies.
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