Historical unjustness should be stopped in nationalization of surnames.

In my opinion nationalization of surnames is good. Though the endings –li, -soylu, -zade, -ov, -yev, – gil etc. have the same meanings, it is an undeniable fact that each of them is an attribute of national etiquette of different nations. However, the problem on nationalization of surnames is not as it has been described in mass media. Personally, I faced one of the fundamental problems while getting birth certificate for my children.
In order to give information on this problem I will have to have a short history trip. It is well-known that while registration in 1930s the government of Azerbaijan SSR misused the illiteracy of most people and registered their fathers’ and grandfathers’ names as surnames in their passports. Actually, this was a trick for Azerbaijani nation to be kept apart from their real roots and get adapted to the soviet nations and was accomplished successfully. From the strategic point of view the purpose was not only to accept –ov and –yev endings but also to keep people apart from their history and cut off the relations between generations. Afterwards, the change of surnames became a sort of tradition and fashion. Everybody remembers that in the next 60s, 70s and 80s some people fascinated by the tradition of surname changing were saying: “our surnames have become old, I should use my father’s name and change the surname while registering my grandchildren” and many times these people realized their ideas. Please pay attention to the disastrous outcome of “fashion”. Is a surname a dress to become shabby or worn out? Or do fathers and grandfathers have a right to replace the root family names with their own?
No doubt that there can be alternative ideas put forward. I want to tell you the situation I came across while getting birth certificate for my children and the reason why I had to keep the – yev ending. While applying for the birth certificate I asked the registration office to assist me in nationalization of my surname and registration in line with my ancestor’s name Zohrab (everyone knows our family as Zohrablilar in the region I was born Masalli and its surroundings). The head of the registration office strictly rejected. As a respond to my insistence he added that I could only change the endings –yev to –li. Our discussion ended up with the sentence “law does not allow”. During this kind of precious discussions it would be helpful if lawyers clarify this problem and propose the changes to the law. Naturally, if this situation is considered in the law it can applied only on the basis of voluntary principal.

Nezirmemmed Guliyev
AFSF Project Coordinator
13.01.2010