The Persian Gulf Organization (http://www.persiangulfonline.org) has received many complaints from its members in the past several weeks that the Western media again has started using an incorrect name instead of Persian Gulf. The USA and Western military officers, especially those stationed in the Middle East intentionally use "The Gulf," or "Arabian Gulf" in their presentations. On July 31, 2010, the CNN reporter of the "Inside the Middle East," program which was repeated every 30 minutes kept using the incorrect term. It seems that whenever Western countries want to antagonize Iran or Iranians, their military personnel and/or their media use the incorrect term.
The e-mails that the Persian Gulf Organization has received have come from over thirty cities in Iran. E-mails from outside of Iran have come from countries such as Canada, the USA, Japan, the UAE, Kuwait, and many more. As an organization, members plea for respect for the name Persian Gulf.
The misrepresentation of the name of the Persian Gulf has caused distress in the international communities, especially among Iranians. We wonder who is behind these actions. We created an Organization to document that the Persian Gulf name has been used for over 2500 years. "Persian Gulf" is not just a name; it is a part of world history. No one can change it by stating it incorrectly. To do so is also contrary both to the United Nations' recognition of the name and to respect for international values.
In 2004, the National Geographic Society (NGS) for the first time used both the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Gulf name. Organizations such as CNN and NGS obviously do not have the legal authority to change the name of a country, region, or a gulf. The United Nations with its 22 Arab member countries has on two occasions officially declared the name of the water between Iran and its Arab neighbors as the Persian Gulf. The first announcement was made pursuant to the document UNAD, 311/Gen on March 5, 1971, and the second was pursuant to UNLA 45.8.2 ( C ) on August 10, 1984.
In petitions that have been circulated the number of individuals who have written to express their dismay has surpassed several hundred thousand. Among those individuals, there are many university professors, history scholars, and others who have made clear why the correct name of this body water should be used.
When an organization and/or individual intentionally use a wrong name, its reputation comes into question. It seems that the current wave of anti-Iran sanctions has encouraged some organizations and individuals to compromise accuracy and respect for international law. These organizations and/or individuals must be held accountable for promoting wrong information.
There is a belief among the international community that these organizations or individuals have received financial incentives for using another name in addition to Persian Gulf. These organizations and individuals need to know that the Persian Gulf is not the preferable name, but the only name, and any other name is a complete misnomer and a betrayal of the heritage of those who have lived for centuries in the Persian Gulf.
Organizations such as CNN and NGS should investigate and publish the rules for changing names of geographic entities. If Americans decided to change the Gulf of Mexico to the AmericanGulf would this be possible? What about changing the Sea of Japan to the KoreanSea or the Arabian Sea to the PersianSea, and the Indian Ocean to the PakistanOcean?
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