Money for “Muhammad”?

A charity in Egypt will give money to local parents who name their newborns “Muhammad,” “Mahmoud,” or “Ahmed” in honor of the prophet Muhammad. (All three names are derived from the same Arabic root, hamida, meaning “to praise.”)

The charity, located in a village in Gharbia governorate, will give each participating family a monthly stipend of 300 Egyptian pounds (a little over $19 U.S.) for one year.

Why? The charity gave two reasons. The first was to offer some financial support to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second was to counter “the blasphemous campaign…in France to disorder the prophet’s prestige” — a reference to the current tensions between France and the Muslim world over caricatures of Muhammad.

Sources: In Egyptian village: Monthly salary for newborn named after Prophet Muhammad, Macron says he understands Muslims’ shock over Prophet cartoons, Behind the Name

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