Muslim Surnames
Jun. 29th, 2007 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloOur neighbour from two doors down- the one who gave us the planter- is known to us as Mrs Bibi. There are lots of Mrs Bibis in this part of the world.
Bibi is an honorific not a surname. Benazir Bibi means something like Miss Benazir.
So for a person to be called Mrs Bibi is a nonsense. Somewhere back down the line an uncomprehending official made a silly mistake.
Why does our neighbour stand for it? I've been researching Muslim surnames all morning and getting more and more confused. There seem to be no fixed conventions. If I understand my sources correctly, the purest tradition- the one that goes back to the prophet- is for everyone- male and female- to have a personal name followed by the name of his or her father. It's a system of labelling that guards against inadvertent incest- and very sensible too. Ahmed's son is called Muktar Ahmed and Muktar's son is called Hanif Muktar and so on. But in reality things are far more complicated- and practice varies from place to place and clan to clan. One thing that emerges fairly clearly is that the surname as westerners understand it- a badge of identity, honour and pride that passes down the family from generation to generation- just doesn't exist in Islamic cultures.
And I suppose that's why my neighbour isn't bothered. You want two names to put on your form? Here they are- Benazir Bibi. And if you choose to interpret the second as a surname who cares?
Bibi is an honorific not a surname. Benazir Bibi means something like Miss Benazir.
So for a person to be called Mrs Bibi is a nonsense. Somewhere back down the line an uncomprehending official made a silly mistake.
Why does our neighbour stand for it? I've been researching Muslim surnames all morning and getting more and more confused. There seem to be no fixed conventions. If I understand my sources correctly, the purest tradition- the one that goes back to the prophet- is for everyone- male and female- to have a personal name followed by the name of his or her father. It's a system of labelling that guards against inadvertent incest- and very sensible too. Ahmed's son is called Muktar Ahmed and Muktar's son is called Hanif Muktar and so on. But in reality things are far more complicated- and practice varies from place to place and clan to clan. One thing that emerges fairly clearly is that the surname as westerners understand it- a badge of identity, honour and pride that passes down the family from generation to generation- just doesn't exist in Islamic cultures.
And I suppose that's why my neighbour isn't bothered. You want two names to put on your form? Here they are- Benazir Bibi. And if you choose to interpret the second as a surname who cares?
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 05:20 pm (UTC)We have endless problems with Manolo´s surnameS here in the US because in Spain everyone receives two surnames upon birth, the father´s first surname in first place and the mother´s first surname in second place (women do not change their surnames when they marry and it is illegal to do so). Here they will always look at his second surname first since it is in last place no matter how well we explain that no, Morillo is not a middle name but his first surname.
Oh...if a child has no father who will take legal responsibility for them upon birth, they are registered with the mother´s two last names.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 05:34 pm (UTC)And would a Spanish woman make the same choice?
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 10:02 pm (UTC)Artists or actors have been known to use their mother's surname for artistic purposes but that's not legal.
Yes, Spanish women would have to use the same sequence of last names as a man.
It's always father's first surname first, mother's first surname second. This obviously favours the male lineage.
One CAN legally change the sequence by going to court.