Next generation's Jihad
Next generation's JihadiStock

France's chief prosecutor must decide whether naming a baby "Jihad" is an acceptable option after a couple's chosen name for their son was referred by authorities in Toulouse, reports the BBC. The case may be referred to the French judge for family issues.

Muslim apologists make the claim that "Jihad" in Arabic means a benign "effort" or "struggle", not specifically "holy war".

France once had an official list of approved baby names, but today French law does not restrict parents' options, provided the name does not harm the child or would damage the family's reputation.

The Toulouse baby named "Jihad" was born in August. The name has been given to babies in France in the past.

The BBC reports that in 2013 a mother in the French city of Nimes was given a one-month suspended jail term and a €2,000 fine after sending her three-year-old little Jihad to school in a T-shirt saying "I am a bomb" and "Jihad, born on 11 September".

The sentence only related to the "provocative" T-shirt that referenced the 9/11 US attacks, but not to the name "Jihad".

In 2015 a French court prevented a couple from naming their baby girl Nutella after the hazelnut spread, ruling that it would make her a laughing stock. The judge ordered that the child be called Ella instead, said the BBC.