Voices of South Azerbaijan: Iran Denies Identity Card for Azerbaijani Baby Named 'Urmu'

Iran Denies Identity Card for Azerbaijani Baby Named 'Urmu'

Hamid Melikoglu, Voice of America, February 21, 2023

Iran's Identity Card

The Registration Authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran has refused to issue an identity card for a newborn girl with the name Urmu.

The father of the newborn, Vahid Bağırpur, who is a resident of Tabriz, shared on his Instagram page that his application for registering his child's birth certificate had been rejected.

The name Urmu is an alternative form of the name of the city Urmia. According to Vahid Bağırpur’s information on his Instagram page, the Civil Status Registration Office's website asked the applicant to provide reliable documentation about the origin and meaning of the name for their review.

The baby girl, named Urmu, was born on January 28, but the Registration Authority of the Islamic Republic has not agreed to the name chosen by her parents up until now.

According to officials in Iranian Azerbaijan, Turkish names have become popular among Azerbaijani families. However, there are many obstacles in the laws of the Islamic Republic regarding the selection of various Turkish names, making it difficult for parents to freely choose any Turkish name for their children.

Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Təbrizdə azərbaycanlı körpəyə "Urmu" adı ilə şəxsiyyət vəsiqəsi verilmir

The Voices of Azerbaijan is dedicated to exploring and amplifying the experiences of marginalized Turkish communities in South Azerbaijan and broader Iran. We examine the intersections of ethnicity, language, gender, class, power, and marginalization, offering a platform for these communities to share their voices and engage in critical discussions. Our mission is to raise awareness, advocate for social justice, and contribute to both academic and public discourse through diverse perspectives.

We explore ethnicity, language, gender, and politics in their full complexity, recognizing communities as social and political agents and examining how these identities shape and are shaped by political and social dynamics.

Our focus encompasses key issues related to language, education, and society, investigating how language policies and educational practices affect the status of ethnic minorities, particularly Turkish-speaking populations. We aim to reveal the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in language and education, illustrating how these factors shape these communities' social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental realities.

Through this blog, we aim to provide valuable insights for community members in Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as for those in the diaspora. Our platform serves journalists, writers, academics, and students seeking to understand the social, cultural, economic, and political positions of Iran’s ethnic and linguistic minoritized communities. We critically examine power relations and the marginalization these groups face, focusing on topics neglected by mainstream media and academic research in Iran.

We are committed to promoting dialogue on diversity, inclusion, and justice. Our vision is to contribute to a society where the challenges of all communities are recognized, the socio-historical dynamics of power and privilege are acknowledged, and inclusive, discrimination-free discourses and policies are both envisioned and implemented.

Published articles and interviews on this platform do not imply endorsement by Voices of Azerbaijan. They represent the views and opinions of the respective authors.

Contact Voices of Azerbaijan for inquiries and collaborations: voicesazerbaijan@gmail.com