Understanding the naming conventions of non-European cultures is important for an investigator or anyone wishing to certainly and correctly identify people in our diverse country.  The following column is an attempt to assist the reader in correctly applying the conventions of uniquely ethnic names so identification is possible.  This article should not be interpreted as indicating any unusual prevalence of any specific ethnic group toward unlawful or immoral activities, since no such intention exists.  In each issue of The John Cooke Fraud Report, we will explore the mysteries of the naming practices of many ethnic cultures.  In this issue we look at Middle Eastern names.

By Mohammad Ayman Khabbaz

Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait and Egypt have Arabic as a first language.  Iran has Farsi (Persian) as its national language.  In Turkey the language spoken is Turkish; in Armenia it is Armenian.  All of these have their roots, thousands of years ago, in the Arabic language but most of the similarity has been lost through the ages.  Although there are similar characteristics of sound, the languages have major differences.  The Hebrew language, spoken by Israelis, is unlike all other Middle Eastern languages.

Farsi and Arabic languages employ the same alphabet but the writing style is different.  All middle Eastern alphabets, however, are written from right to left, the reverse of English.  What sets these languages apart is the difference in sound brought about by the absence of vowels as we know them.  

Each of the languages has unique letter sounds, apart from those employed in English.  For instance, in Arabic there is much of the "kkhhhuuh" sound - the best way to describe this is a clearing of the throat - and a rolling "R" that sounds somewhere between the Scot's and the Hispanic's enunciation.  Farsi has a rolling "J" sound that combines the G and the J together, almost as if spoken through a kazoo.  There is also much "oo-ui" in Farsi.  The Armenian language bears far more similarity to Farsi than Arabic.

Within the Muslim religion, Mohammad is the messenger of God, somewhat akin to Jesus Christ in the Christian religions.  Thus, the name Mohammad is very strong within the Muslim community, which makes up a great part of the Arabic region.  Generally, the first born male child will carry the first name of "Mohammad," but will most often be called by his middle name.  It is very common that two or more of the sons in large families will also be given the first name of Mohammad, though the middle names will differ.  The Arabic pronunciation of this name is "Mahh-mad," far different from the way we would pronounce it. 

There is a heavy usage of feminine/masculine in the naming tradition and the sounds are distinctly different.  Women's names often have an "ai-eee" sound, the men have just "ai."  Also, there is heavy usage of the "Mahh" and "Ahh" sounds at the beginning of men's names. 

It is uncommon for one Arabic-speaking person to refer to an Arabic speaking female by her first name.  This is a matter of respect.  A woman who carries the first name of "Ai-ee-dah" who has a son named Mohammad Samir, would be referred to as "im-Samir," which roughly translates to mean "Sam's Mom."  This is to recognize the fact that she has a male child, which is a highly-revered position.  Daughters are a nice thing to have, but the birthing of a male child escalates the mother to something akin to sainthood.  (Woman's libbers would do well to stay right here in the USA.) 

Arabic naming tradition includes a high incidence of passing names from grandfather to grandson.  For instance, if the grandfather is Abed Alhamid, the first born son of the eldest son will be named Abed Alhamid and it will be known that he has been named in his grandfather's honor. 

The Muslim word for God is "Allah," and the sound "Alahh," "Alee" or similar will often be heard in Arabic names.

In the Arabic counties, a large proportion of the last names are preceeded by the Al sound.  Upon coming to the United States, however, it is very common that the Al be dropped and only the remainder of the name is used.

Interestingly, a portion of the reason for this has to do with the U.S. Government quota as it relates to allowing immigration into this country.  Young people in Middle Eastern countries often try to get an immigration or travel visa for the first time in their early twenties.  Because of the heavy restrictions in numbers, however, most do not succeed.  They cannot try again for a stated period, so to increase their chances, they commonly

alter the English spelling of the entire name and again apply for a passport visa - as if they were a different individual.  Theoretically, they can do this over and over, because although the birth certificate is in Arabic, it is the English translation that is kept in the records maintained by the American Embassy.  Thus, a name of Basil might also be submitted as Hasil, Pasel, Bassel or any of a number of other combinations.  Similarly,

Mohammad might be spelled commonly in any of a dozen different variations. 

This presents a unique dilemma to the investigator who is attempting to ascertain if there is a familial relationship between two individuals involved in the same accident.  Although two men are brothers, one might have identification bearing the name "Mhamad Khaled Alfara" and the other might be "Mohammad Sayed Farrah." 

It is further not uncommon that the same individual will have alternative spellings of his/her name on different pieces of identification.  The driver's license may have Mhd and the social security card might drop that portion, assuming it to simply be a title.  The same individual could then conceivably return to the License Bureau and obtain a second license in the altered name. 

Another possibility is multiple passports obtained by the same individual while in the home country.  On one trip, perhaps on a student visa, the name would be "Raid Aljarah".  Two years later, the same individual could obtain and travel on business visa as "Riad Jarrah." 

For these reasons, Middle Eastern names present the most difficult challenge when it comes to indexing.  Tips to the investigator, when dealing with Middle Eastern names, vary from those offered in our May/June issue article covering Vietnamese names.  Although changing the order of the names will occasionally assist the investigator, Middle Eastern names present an entirely different problem.  Because of the commonness

of "Mohammad" and "Al," an attempt should be made at alternative indexing.  Try adding the Al - try deleting the Al.  Try changing a few of the letters.  The most commonly changed are the first letter or letters of the name.  G's and J's are often interchangeable, as are K's and Q's and H's and A's.  And although you will not hit on it every time, there will be instances where you are successful in tying people together, attaching involvement in past claims or discovering multiple claims for the same person who slightly varies his/her name each time.

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Mohammad Ayman Khabbaz is a naturalized American citizen who

was born and raised in Damascus, Syria.

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