The state of Georgia, United State, is being sued by a civil rights group for not allowing a couple to give their daughter “Allah” as her last name.
The child’s parents, Elizabeth Handy and Bilal Walk want to name their 22-month-old daughter, ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reports that state officials at the Department of Public Health told the couple that under Georgia law, the child’s last name should either be Handy, Walk or a combination of the two.
Following the refusal, the Georgia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit against the state on March 23.
ACLU of Georgia Executive Director, Andrea Young, said, “Government has no business telling parents what they can and cannot name their children.
According to the child’s parents, they gave the child the name Allah because it was “noble” and it had nothing to do with religion.
They lamented that because of the state’s actions, they cannot get a birth certificate for the child, therefore, they cannot obtain a social security number either.
They also fear they will have problems with access to healthcare, schools and travel, the paper reported.
The girl’s father, Walker said, “It is just plainly unfair and a violation of our rights.”
Young added, “The department’s actions interfere with the couple’s right to raise their child and are a clear violation of the right to freedom of speech and the right to equal protection under the law.”
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