Abuse behind Isis name change

Lisa Hotton has renamed her business, saying it was a new start, a new approach but also sad. Photo / Andrew Warner

A Tauranga business owner has been forced to change her company name from Isis Financial Services after a stranger told her they hoped she would get her head cut off.

Lisa Hotton named her Tauranga debt-collection business after the Egyptian goddess Isis in 2004, one of the principal deities of the ancient Egyptian religion.

However, she came under increasing pressure to change the name once the Islamic militant group Isis became well known around the world.

"I didn't expect to get messages from people saying 'how could you?' and 'I hope you get your head chopped off'," she said.

"It shows there's a few ignorant people out there."

The messages of abuse continued, but she was surprised that she also got many messages of support.

"I was pretty blown away because I got emails of support from people I didn't even know."

She had been adamant that she would not change the name - as it was feminine, it tied in her love of Egypt and, over the past 11 years, had become her business identity.

"I was still adamant, but the [bad] messages kept coming," Ms Hotton said.

"From a business impact, I did have to think seriously about it."

About two weeks ago, she decided to rename her company as Bay Debt Services Ltd, keeping the logo of Isis, the goddess.

"It's a new start, a new approach, but it's also sad."

The name change had been met by a positive response so far and she said it was a relief to no longer have people associate her company with the militant group.

Difference between ISIS and Isis
* ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham) is a Salafi jihadi extremist militant group and self-proclaimed caliphate and Islamic state that is led by Sunni Arabs from Iraq and Syria.

* Isis is a goddess from the polytheistic pantheon of Egypt. She was first worshiped in Ancient Egyptian religion, and later her worship spread throughout the Roman empire and the greater Greco-Roman world. Isis is still widely worshiped by many pagans today in diverse religious contexts, including a number of distinct pagan religions, the modern Goddess movement, and interfaith organisations such as the Fellowship of Isis.