I’m really intrigued by this tête-à-tête over the Persian Gulf. Or rather, the Arabian Gulf, depending where you’re looking at it from. Like anything, there are (at least) two sides to this story. Iran wants it to be referred to as “The Persian Gulf”, while other Arabian countries, notably Saudi Arabia, feels it is “The Arabian Gulf”.
We’re talking about a stretch of water: an extension of the Indian Ocean that lies between Iran and seven Arab nations. Historically and most commonly referred to as the Persian Gulf, it’s called the Arabian Gulf by most Arab States. For argument’s sake, it’s also sometimes referred to as simply: The Gulf.
Fun and Games?
In January of this year, the Saudi-based Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation cancelled the Islamic Solidarity Games, due to be held in April because its Iranian host intended to use Persian Gulf on banners and medals.
In 2004, Iran banned the American National Geographic in its country for using Arabian Gulf instead of the Persian Gulf. In 2005, National Geographic did a swift u-turn and promptly revised its world atlas, to include “Persian Gulf”.
That Name Just Won’t Fly Here…
This month, the Iranian Transport Ministry announced that any airlines not referring to the waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula as the Persian Gulf will be banned from Iranian airspace. The warning was specifically aimed at the airlines of neighboring Gulf Arab countries.
An article in the Business Insider reveals that Hamid Behbahani, Iran’s Transport Minster told local media: “The airlines of the southern Persian gulf countries flying to Iran must use ‘Persian Gulf’ on their flight monitors.”
Airlines ignoring the warning are to be banned Iranian airspace, while repeat offenders would have their planes grounded in Iran and “the companies’ flight permits to Iran canceled.”
Apparently. Iran also just fired a Greek flight attendant from private Iranian airline, Kish Air, for daring to utter “Arabian Gulf” on a monitor.
The debate continues…
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Infact it is the Iranian (Persian) rights. Because in wikipedia.org :
The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.[1] Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf or simply The Gulf by most Arab states[2], although neither of the latter two terms is recognized internationally. The name Persian Gulf (Gulf of Iran) is used by the International Hydrographic Organization[3].
and :
In the fifth century B.C., Darius the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty called the Persian Gulf “Draya; tya; haca; parsa: Aitiy”, meaning, “The sea which goes from Persian”[5]. In this era, some of the Greek writers also called it “Persikonkaitas”, meaning the Persian Gulf.
Since several thousand years tell us Persian Gulf.