Senior church official criticizes bill barring parents from giving foreign names to children

Cairo - A well-placed church official has lashed out at a bill barring Egyptian parents from giving foreign names to their newly-born babies.

Speaking to Al-Bawaba News on Tuesday, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church Bishop Raphael urged the parliament member who prepared the draft law to focus on domestic and regional issues instead.

It is the first reaction by the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church to the controversial bill, which imposes a fine of 5,000 EGP and imprisonment from one day to six months for parents, who give their newly-born babies foreign names. 

Earlier, Member of the Egyptian Parliament Bedeir Abdel Aziz said that he was working on a new draft law to sentence parents who insist on giving their newly-born babies foreign names. 

He said that he felt discomfort of a large number of children who carry foreign names, claiming they feel embarrassed as they get older.