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Chairman of Azerbaijani parliamentâ€™s committee Nizami Jafarov: I will not change my last name â€“ INTERVIEW

Chairman of Azerbaijani parliamentâ€™s committee Nizami Jafarov: I will not change my last name â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW </font>

23 February 2010 12:14 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev â€“ APA. APAâ€™s interview with chairman of the Azerbaijani parliamentâ€™s committee for culture Nizami Jafarov

-How did it happen that a commission for changing the last name endings was established?

-This commission is called Special Commission for Names and Last Names under Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences. It was established under the order issued by the president of academy on June 16, 2009. The initiative came from the academy, but earlier there were passive and active discussions on the names and last names. The issue has been raised in the parliament several times. Our committee included the bill prepared by Rafael Huseynov into the working plan. Earlier Sabir Rustamkhanli made a number of proposals. Sabir Rustamkhanli said first of all officials should change â€œovâ€, â€œyevâ€, then ordinary citizens should do it. When the discussion of the problem began, it was said that this is the internal affair of the society. We are living in a democratic society, everybody can have the last name he wants. Approaching the issue seriously, the problem can be solved this way now. But the bodies of the Civil Registration Office require various documents. For example, an old person has a number of commitments vis-Ã -vis the society, state, international organizations. Changing of the last name created problems for them. As a result of it, a commission was set up. Chairman of the commission is president of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Mahmud Karimov. Director of humanitarian policy department of the Presidential Administration Fatma Abdullazadeh is also in the commission. It shows that this commission is destined to pursue not only scientific, but also state policy. This commission worked and some months ago presented Concept on establishing State Information System of Names and Last Names. After that the commission prepared the statistics of the names and last names in Azerbaijan after the 50s. This statistics covered only the registered names and last names and various interesting results appeared.

-What results?

-It was found out that â€œovâ€, â€œyevâ€ endings reduced from 90 percent to 80 percent from the 50s till 2000. According to the present statistics, endings â€œovâ€, â€œyevâ€ make up approximately 80 percent, â€œzadehâ€ 10 percent, â€œliâ€ 10 percent. There are very few endings â€œogluâ€, â€œgiziâ€, â€œgilâ€ and â€œsoyâ€. This statistics was very important for us. We also determined 100 popular male names in Azerbaijan. The most popular name in Azerbaijan is Ali. There are 40494 men named Ali. The second popular name is Elchin, 33337 men are named Elchin. 32569 are named Vugar, 31056 Anar, 29083 Elnur. Then come Samir, Elshan, Rashad, Ilgar, Vusal. Most of them are borrowings.

-Is the situation good or bad?

-It means that the people have weak fantasy concerning names. But this is present statistics. If we made this statistics late in the 19th century, early in the 20th century, then the most popular names would be Ahmad, Mammad, Huseyn, Hasan. I do not believe that Elchin, Elnur, Anar could be so popular at that time. Despite the changes in the system of names, there is too much repetition.

-I wonder in which place is your name?

-My name is the 63rd. 13374 people are named Nizami.

-What about popular female names?

-The most popular female name in Azerbaijan is Sevinj. 46937 are named Sevinj. Moreover, there are 40215 women named Gunel, 35395 Leyla, 35276 Aygun, 35138 Gunay, 31675 Sevda, 31453 Vusala, 31308 Konul, 29956 Tarana, 28600 Samira. Late in the 19th century, early in the 20th century most popular names were Zeynab, Fatima, Zubeyda and others. In the 40-50s of the past century the most popular female name was Sevil, it was connected with the same-name play by Jafar Jabbarli. Now the name Sevil is the 32nd place, there are 21077 people named Sevil now. We can also explain the socio-psychological aspect of the names. The first girl in the family is usually called Sevinj.

-Is there many persons with the same names and last names?

-It has also been investigated. There are 3055 persons named Mammadova Sevinj, 2951 Aliyev Ali, 2558 Mammadova Gunel, 2435 Mammadov Mammad, 2419 Aliyeva Sevinj, 2381 Mammadov Elchin, 2299 Mammadov Ali, 2281 Mammadova Aygun, 2260 Mammadova Gunay, 2192 Mammadova Sevda in Azerbaijan. As seen, last names Mammadov and Mammadova are repeated much. So, the most popular last names are Mammadov, Aliyev, Huseynov, Ismayilov. First of all we established a bank of names and last names. We collected the names in the folklore, written literature, persons named after historical, geographical places, flora and fauna. This list has been presented to the bodies of the Civil Registration Office. The commission also determined which names are inexpedient.

-How have you determined it?

-There are people who give their children insulting names. Once children were names Kombayn, Kolkhoz, Traktor. Such names are removed from the vocabulary. For example, you can not name your child Hitler. European names were also given to children once. There are names that are not national. If somebody wants to name his daughter Yelizaveta, it will be explained that there is no such a name in the vocabulary. Sometimes somebody wants to name his child Pishik, Janavar. It is not allowed any more. There is a principle that a name without ideological context is banned. For example, an Armenian can give the name Andronik, but an Azerbaijani no. Somebody has recently named his child Bin Laden. It must be forbidden. Names containing more than two components are also banned. Names and last names with signs, shortenings are also banned. Moreover, the number of sounds in names and last names should not be less than three. The concept covers all these issues.

-Has the international practice been studied?

-The practice of Turkey, Germany, Moldova, Belarus, Estonia and other countries has been studied. The concept also contains recommendations. It is not recommended to give names and last names connected with the communism ideology and former Soviet realities. Such names like Soviet, Marx, Estonia, Chocolate, Candidate, Sidney, Opera, Yerevan, Kukla and etc. could be examples for ridiculous and hateful names. There are hardly pronounceable names like Sevinddsh, Babayriza, Khirda. It is recommended to correct the misinterpreted names in accordance with the rules of literary language.

-What concrete options are proposed?

-There are four recommended options, which were submitted to the government. It can be determined by the order of Azerbaijani president or adopted by the parliament and it can be amended to the Family Code as well. First option is to add â€œogluâ€ to the last name like Eloglu, Agaoglu and etc.

-Does it make last names be first?

-The last names can be showed first in the lists drawn in alphabetical order. The second option is to add suffix â€œliâ€ to the end of last names. The third form can be without suffixes. The fourth form is adding of â€œgilâ€ or â€œsoyâ€ to the end of last names.

-How it goes with â€œzadehâ€?

-It is controversial to accept format of â€œzadehâ€. It is said that it couldnâ€™t be accepted because of Persian origin of these names. But I think that there is a need in this format. 10 percent of the population has the last names with suffix â€œzadehâ€ and it became some national. This format is widely spread among the world Azerbaijanis and particularly those who are living in South Azerbaijan.

We have to reject forcibly and repressively accepted suffixes â€œov and â€œev in our last names. But no one can be forced to abandon his or her last names. Newly-born children can accept new last names, for example the names of their fathers. We can not force other ethnic groups living in Azerbaijan to change their last names.

-How will it be with the ethnic minorities like lezgins, talishes, kurds and others?

-They are Azerbaijanis and they have to do like us.

-Why were there Soviet repressions against our last names only?

-There was intensive pressure on us. They changed our alphabet as well. Turkic people were second largest ethnic group in USSR after the Slavic people. Azerbaijani intellectuals accepted this format formally, but there were signatures without â€œovâ€ and â€œevâ€, for example, Azerbaijani poets Mikayil Mushfig, Suleyman Rustam, Samed Vurgun and others. This compulsion was only for the mass. There can be some 10 percent of last names which will save â€œovâ€ and â€œevâ€. Exclusions can be for the last names with â€œinskiâ€ in the end. It needs to discuss some issues, but generally the concept is ready. The issue is on agenda of the Presidential Administration too.

-What has your Culture Committee done in the past five years?

-Our main work was the law on theater. It would be better if we adopt the law on culture by the end of the year. We couldnâ€™t adopt the law on creative people and organizations. We have to bring the status of creative person and notion of producer on agenda of legislature.

-Your name is among the candidates for chairman of Azerbaijan Union of Writersâ€¦

-I donâ€™t have such claims. This is Anar, who pulled out the Union from the difficulties and problems of the period. If the Union of Writers exists today we are obliged to our national leader that he created all conditions for this organization. I think Anar should be chairman of the Union. I will vote for Anar.

-Recently the commission for determination of national prizes in Azerbaijan was established. What is your opinion about the commission?

- This is very good job. There is a tradition in Azerbaijan to give honorable title of â€œpeopleâ€™sâ€. I think it is more acceptable to give national prizes than honorable title of â€œpeopleâ€™sâ€. It needs to use the worldâ€™s experience to award medals, prizes.