DUSHANBE, March 16, 2016, Asia-Plus – President Emomali Rahmon yesterday signed a number of laws adopted by the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament) and seconded by the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament).

The president’s official website reports that Rahmon signed the laws proposing amendments to the country’s laws on dehqon (peasant) farms, ombudsman, registration of acts of civil status, and investments, as well as criminal and family codes.

We will recall that amendments made to the civil-registry law and family code regulate the issue of giving names to newborns.  They, in particular, ban to give newborns names humiliating human honor and dignity.

For example, the amendments ban to name children after animals, products, and inanimate objects such as Sang (Stone), Safol (Ceramics), Zogh (Crow), Gurg (Wolf) and so forth.

It is not uncommon in Tajikistan to see such names among older generations.  The reasoning behind the unusual eponyms can be attributed to the superstition that giving a child an unflattering name will make them less desirable, and thus prevent God from taking them away.

Under proposed amendments to the country''s civil-registry law and family code, such names are out.

Besides, amendments proposed to the country’s civil-registry law and family code require couples who want to marry to undergo a mandatory medical examination.  The legislation aims to prevent close relatives from marrying each other.

According to statistical data of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, more than 30,000 children with disabilities have been registered in the country by 2015, and the majority of them were reportedly born with genetic disabilities due to cousin marriages.

Beginning on July 1, 2016, couples who want to marry will have to undergo the mandatory medical examination.

However, after familiarizing themselves with medical opinion couples will decide themselves weather to enter into marriage or not.