An Egyptian parliament committee is set to discuss a draft law prohibiting parents from giving their children foreign names in the country.
The proposed law was introduced by MP Bedier Abdel Aziz, according to Egypt Independent. A meeting will be held by members of the Parliament s Complaints and Suggestions committee on Tuesday to discuss whether the draft law will be passed.
Aziz says the law is necessary to preserve the country s heritage.
"Using such Western names and abandoning Arabic ones will lead to an undesired and radical change in our society and culture,” Abdel Aziz said, according to Quartz.
He went on to explain that foreign names like "Lara" and "Mark" are difficult for Arabs to pronounce.
Following the news, many Egyptians took to social media to express their frustration at the parliament s priorities.
If the draft law passes, Egypt will not be the first country to place a ban on certain names for newborns.
In 2014, Saudi Arabia s interior ministry announced a ban on 50 names including ones related to royalty, foreign names, and names deemed to be blasphemous.
The list includes Malaak, Maya, Linda and Baseel, according to Gulf News.
