Criticism of Arabic name in university hospital Instagram story

The name of a baby in an Instagram story from the Department of Obstetrics at Leipzig University Hospital has caused some confusion. The name Yahya Sinwar appeared in a daily overview of the first names of newborn children. It is reminiscent of the name of the former Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Jihia al-Sinwar - or Yahya Sinwar in a different transcription. The "Jüdische Allgemeine" had previously reported on this. Sinwar is considered the mastermind behind the massacre of October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 dead.

Clinic responds with statement

The clinic responded with a public statement on Instagram on Monday afternoon: "Today we published the first names of the newborns on our obstetrics channel - as we do every day," it said. One of the names is currently in a political context, which has caused irritation or incomprehension among some users.

The first name Yahya is widely used in Arabic-speaking countries and is considered the Muslim equivalent of John the Baptist.

The names were published "exclusively at the request or with the consent of the parents" - without evaluation or selection by the hospital, the statement said. The names would also not be commented on editorially or categorized politically.

Announcement of internal review

"We understand that today's post has aroused negative associations in some people," the social media team continued. The hospital expressly apologizes for this. The university hospital announced that it would review its internal processes in order to deal with similar situations more sensitively in future.

In the massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, Islamist terrorists killed more than 1,200 people, abducted a further 250 in the Gaza Strip and filmed their actions. Israel's armed forces and intelligence services then opened the hunt for the Hamas leader - and have been waging war against Hamas ever since.

Sinwar was long suspected to be in the densely branched tunnel system under the sealed-off coastal area. In October last year, he was killed by Israeli soldiers in the south of the Gaza Strip.