According to international reports  China has banned certain religious names in its Muslim-majority province Xinjiang as a part of its new measures to fight terrorism.

Children with banned names cannot be admitted in schools. They will not receive their household registration credentials called “hukou” which is necessary for obtaining social services and government benefits like education and health.

US-funded organization Radio Free Asia claims that a list was issued in the western Chinese province in which there is a list of banned names for babies due to the connection with religious radicalization.

The full list has not been publicly displayed but a few of the banned Muslim names include:

1. Islam
2. Saddam
3. Mecca
4. Quran
5. Jihad
6. Imam
7. Medina
8. Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a formal statement against the anti-terrorism initiative and said that it could exaggerate the religious fervour in Muslim-majority regions of the country.Like other countries, China is also fighting religious extremism. Some humanitarian organisations report that such initiatives were against the freedom of religious practices

   Earlier, the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang had passed a law last month according to which women are not allowed to cover their faces with veil. The legislation also prohibits growth of abnormal beard and naming children with names that spread religious radicalisation.