Members of the Kingdom’s tribes whose names have been implicated in international terrorist activities are complaining of difficulties when traveling abroad. Because their last name is the name of the tribe, they say they have often landed in trouble. It all starts when they apply for visas to travel abroad. An applicant may share the same last name of someone suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.
The point is — and this is well-known — that one tribe probably has thousands of people with the same last name. A mistake committed by one of them is no reason to condemn the entire tribe, since this would amount to collective punishment, which is exactly what is happening to the Palestinians at the hands of the Israelis. The only solution to this problem is for tribes to agree to stop tribal names from being used as last names since this may pose a serious security and social problem.
Hundreds of people from the same tribe have the same first name as well as the same tribal name — how many people are named Muhammad Al-Ghamdi? — and this can lead to serious problems jeopardizing personal as well as public rights. The problem is not confined merely to obtaining visas or how people are treated in foreign countries but may also cause domestic and social problems here in the Kingdom.
The younger generation say they have tried to convince their older relatives to stop using tribal names as last names and to use instead something else — clan names or subgroups — in a bid to reduce the problem. The old men, however, have categorically rejected such attempts. With the authorities not allowing a change in names unless it includes the father, siblings and other family members, the only hope left is to petition the authorities to solve the problem and spare them the trouble arising from the fact that they bear the same name as an alleged terrorist. A change such as the one suggested would not affect the basics of tribal relations which are deeply rooted in our history. The change would be only a routine and superficial measure, designed to protect the tribe from bearing the blame for the actions of a very small number of its members.
Arab News From the Local Press 18 June 2003
