Tajik names for Tajik babies: strict rules leave parents stranded

Tajik names for Tajik babies: strict rules leave parents stranded

She is among many parents stuck in a bureaucratic loop -- a government list of approved names designed to promote Tajik culture and curb both the influence of both Russia and radical Islamism. The register, which excludes any names deemed foreign by officials, was rolled out 10 years ago and last updated in February. "We had chosen Dunyo. This name was on the list," Nazarova, 30, told AFP in the capital Dushanbe. "However, when the baby was bo…