Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Alyallen]

Apparently it's not just Korea and Japan that have a disagreement about the name of a body of water. Iran and Qatar are arguing over the use of the term "Persian Gulf." Iran wants to use the commonly "Persian Gulf" while Qatar and other Arab nations want to use the term "Arabian Gulf."

The term "Persian Gulf" is a nod to ancient Persia.

So which term do you prefer "Persian Gulf" or "Arabian Gulf"?

The original article has been cut and pasted for your viewing pleasure
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iran, Qatar Leaders Argue Over Gulf Name
By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer
Wed May 3, 9:48 AM ET


TEHRAN, Iran - An old dispute got a new airing this week, when the Iranian president and the emir of Qatar got into it over the name of the body of water that separates Iran from the Arabian peninsula.

Geographers have traditionally called it the Persian Gulf � after ancient Persia which is now called Iran. The Arabs would prefer to would prefer to call it the Arabian Gulf.

State-run Tehran radio reported Wednesday that the dispute broke out a day earlier during a ceremony marking the departure of the Qatari emir, Sheik Hamad bin-Khalifa al-Thani.

The emir, seeking diplomatic goodwill, said he hoped Iran's national soccer team would bring pride to all the "Arabic Persian Gulf" region during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Not missing a beat, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shot back:

"I believe you called it the Persian Gulf when you studied in school."

Qatar's emir, who signed several economic agreements and met top Iranian leaders during his visit, sought to ease the tension, saying "by the way, the gulf belongs to all (neighboring countries)."

Qatar and five other Arab states share the gulf waters with Iran, whose population and language are largely non-Arab.

Ahmadinejad's prickly response was apparently triggered by efforts to protect the term Persian Gulf against the use of Arabian Gulf, which Tehran views as an imposition by Arab nationalists.

Iran reacted strongly in 2004 when the eighth edition of the National Geographic atlas was released with the term Arabian Gulf in parenthesis beside the more commonly used Persian Gulf. Tehran banned that edition of the atlas, as well as National Geographic journalists, until the map for the Gulf region was changed.

Tehran's city council also passed a resolution to name "Persian Gulf Highway" the main road connecting the capital to the south of the country.

Historically the body of water has been known as the Persian Gulf, but Arab nationalists such as late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein made attempts to rename it the Arabian Gulf.

Iran has warned that it would not attend the 2006 Asian Games if host Qatar continues to use the term Arabian Gulf while advertising the games.

[On the other hand]

[Ya-ta Boy]

There's already an Arabian Sea, so I figure the Gulf should be Persian.

[ursus_rex]

Is East Sea a choice?

[Milwaukiedave]

I would say for the sake of what most of us have been taught it is Persian Gulf.

But I have to wonder if the reason Iran likes it is to claim they own territoral rights over those waters.

[Kuros]

Arabian Gulf. Just to spite Iran.

[Alyallen]

[gypsyfish]

American Gulf?

[Leslie Cheswyck]

Persian Gulf? They gave up dibs on that when they changed their name to Iran. Dorks.

[AbbeFaria]

[Bulsajo]

Who cares?
Let them call it what they want and adjust their documents accordingly, meanwhile the rest of us can continue to call it what we've always called it- The sea of Japan- er, I mean- the Persian Gulf.

You can find maps through the Arab world where the word "Israel" is nowhere to be found and in its place is the name 'Occupied Palestine'.
Think that's going to change, one way or the other, any time soon?

[bucheon bum]

in arabic it is "arab gulf" surprise surpise.

But since we're talking about English, and nearly the entire english speaking world knows it as the Persian gulf, seems logical to stick with it.

[Bulsajo]

[AbbeFaria]

[Ya-ta Boy]

This one has been going on for a long time. Lots of maps in the last few decades just skip over it by calling it The Gulf.