My name is your name, my identity is your identity
I used to think that “identity cards” were a modern phenomenon, but it turns out they are very old. France was a pioneer in this field as early as the 19th century, but only to track workers. Then came the First World War, which prompted many European countries to issue identity cards to all citizens for security and rationing purposes, a trend reinforced by the Second World War. The absence of a personal identification system in Britain puzzled me when I lived there in the mid-1980s. I wondered how any individual could live and function without an identity. Upon inquiry, it turned out that it is possible, in most cases, to ascertain a person’s true identity through various means, such as opening a bank account. Research revealed that Anglo-Saxon traditions imposed Common Law, which is based on the principle: “Everything that is not expressly prohibited is permitted,” and, more importantly, the principle that “there is no need to justify one’s existence or identity to the state” unless there is a specific legal reason (such as suspicion of a crime). Asking a person for their name is considered a form of government surveillance and intrusion. However, the situation differs in Europe, where, historically, there has been a tendency to systematically register citizens. The British government under Blair attempted to emulate Europe, but it faced several objections and was subsequently forced to cancel the decision, continuing with the method in place for seventy years, which is also practiced in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Why hasn’t it been changed? It is worth noting that foreign residents are generally required to carry some form of identification.
On the other hand, the registration of births was not exclusively a Christian ecclesiastical phenomenon; it existed in many societies. Ancient Rome kept birth records for purposes of citizenship and inheritance. Ancient China maintained family registration systems for census and tax purposes for over two millennia, as did ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (which is the correct name for that ancient region, not Iraq, which is a very recent term). Jewish traditions have preserved detailed genealogical records. Several Islamic societies have also maintained extremely precise genealogical records. Perhaps the church parish records in Christian countries, used for baptisms, marriages, and burials, are the most accurate. However, in 1837, England decided to stop relying on church records, which had been in use since the 16th century, and adopted a civil registration system. It is worth noting that genealogy in some Arab societies was historically more accurate than in most contemporary Christian European countries. However, the use of family names, as is common today, is a relatively recent phenomenon in our region. It was imposed by Turkey on the countries it officially controlled in 1934, when Atatürk’s government mandated all citizens to choose a fixed family name as part of secularization and modernization reforms, which pushed everyone toward unifying family surnames.
In Christian societies especially, there is also the custom of adding a middle name between the person’s first name and their father’s or family name, which is usually the name of a saint, a political ally, or a prominent figure, giving them a certain distinction. This practice spread during the Renaissance and became common among wealthy families in Europe during baptismal ceremonies. Upon reaching the United States, it became even more entrenched and an essential part of Western naming practices. A similar practice exists in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and even Egypt, where the name “Mohammed” is added to the name of a male newborn, such as “Mohammed Marwan,” but it is often not known or used to address the person. This compound and confusing naming method sometimes causes difficulties for the individual, leading to its decreased use in recent years.
Ahmed Al-Sarraf
