Thursday, October 28, 2010

Mohammad and the British



B"H

Israel's daily "Israel Hayom" has a news tody which quite struck me:
What is the most popular boy's name in England ?
The majority of England's parents name their newborn son MOHAMMAD.

33% of today's British population is Muslim and thus, the news is not such a big surprise. However, when I read it I had to think of my old English teacher Mr. Anthony Jenkins from Birmingham. He lived in Germany but passed away some years ago. During his lifetime, he taught us real old British English including Shakespeare quotations. Mr. Jenkins wore old tweed jackets and behaved in a totally English way. He was strict but had a great sense of British humour and it is his fault that I spell in a British way (torch) and not in an American way (flashlight). :-)

Nevertheless, I wonder what Mr. Jenkins would have to say about all those Mohammads populating England today.

3 comments:

  1. Nothing surprising. Did you know that Mohammad was also the most popular boy's name in Brussels, where I live ?

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  2. According to this bbc article Oliver is the most popular and Muhammad is at number 16. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11635125

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  3. B"H

    It has something to do with the different spellings of the name Mohammad:

    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3976032,00.html

    But lets say, Mohhamad was number 16, isn't this a shame as well ?


    I spent Pessach 2000 in Brussels. At the Chabad Rabbi Menachem Hahad's house an I remember that Brussels was already full of Arabs in those days.

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