Racist place names in Queensland’s north to be changed

Department of Natural Resources and Mines

Ten localities in the Australian state of Queensland containing the N-word will be discontinued and renamed due to racist connotations. The decision comes after community concerns about a place called N*****s Bounce led to its removal from all databases by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines in May. Other names that have been discontinued include Mount N*****, N***** Head and seven instances of the name N***** Creek, all located in north Queensland.
A department spokesman said the decisions would be published in the Queensland Government Gazette in late September.

The Department of Natural Resources said the racist names would not be completely eradicated because they still appeared on historical maps and plans, and would be retained in the Queensland Place Names Register.

It is in the process of accepting submissions from local councils, community groups and the public for appropriate names of the locations.

China limits use of Muslim names among Uyghurs in Xinjiang

The Chinese government has published a list of overly religious names which will no longer be allowed in the household registration system in China’s Xinjiang region. The list includes names “with a strong religious flavor, such as Jihad” or with “connotations of separatism”. The region’s officials in April announced a list of banned baby names, including Islam, Quran, Mecca, Jihad, Imam, Saddam, Hajj, and Medina.

The order, announced during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, applies to children younger than 16, according to Radio Free Asia. Officials said the measure is part of an effort “to curb religious fervor” in the region. About half of the population of Xinjiang province belongs to the Uyghur ethnic minority group. Read this story at the Huffington Post for more details!