A petition started online to change the name of the capital of Pakistan from Islamabad to “Islamagood” has already received over 300 signatures.
The petition was started by Ayham Abrar, who claims to be a native of Bangladesh. In the description section for his petition on Change.org, Abrar wrote, “Islam is good. Pakistan love Islam. Why IslamaBAD? Love from Bangladesh.”
At the time of writing this, the petition has 309 signatures and is directed at the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
Many on Twitter were quick to point out that the petition makes little sense because Islamabad is technically not “Islama-bad”. Instead, it is “Islam-abad.”
IslamaGood not IslamaBad. pic.twitter.com/rNNhvBhusg
— Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) February 20, 2021
Change Islamabad’s name to Islamagood – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/4BY0gMdXK3 via @Change
Lmfaoooo this petition
— ✨ (@seroquelshawty) February 19, 2021
A petition has been filed to change the name of Islamabad to Islamagood.
It’s not even a joke.— Tayyaba Nisar Khan (@TayyabaNKhan) February 19, 2021
why are they planning to change Islamabad's name to Islamagood ♀️
— Aniela Ayub (@aniela_ayub) February 19, 2021
Yeah exactly no LOSS imagine our passports saying born in “islamagood”. Sickkk
— Assma (@AssmaShahid) February 19, 2021
And what is IslamAgOoD???? Who came up with this name??
— . (@smolnoor__) February 17, 2021
who are the 19 people who signed??? I just want to talk https://t.co/A9CH1WKWVG
— Sahar (@ustaanijee) February 16, 2021
After Islamagood get ready for Abbotagood Faisalagood Hyderagood
— zirwah (@_phatadhol) February 19, 2021
There's a petition to change Islamabad's name to Islamagood because IslamaBad sounds Islamophobic. pic.twitter.com/IvOf4k9FlL
— Haider Ali (@Jaded_Wanderer) February 19, 2021
Islamabad actually means the City of Islam. It is a compound word consisting of two Urdu words – Islam and Abad. Abad can roughly be translated to location. That is why a large number of places, even in India, end with the suffix ‘Abad’.
In 2020, a similar petition had been filed on Change.org to change the name of Columbus, in Ohio, US to “Flavourland.” This petition, however, had a deeper significance.
Consistent protests against the intersectional racism inherent in the United States of America (USA) brought along a lot of required changes. One of these changes was the removal of the statues of Christopher Columbus.
After Columbus, Ohio’s Mayor announced that the Columbus statues of the city will also be removed, a petition was created on Change.org pushing for renaming the city’s name altogether.
The description of the post read: “Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself. Its namesake, Christopher Columbus, is in The Bad Place because of all his raping, slave trading, and genocide. That’s not exactly a proud legacy”.
The petitioner also has a new name in mind – Flavourland.
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