By Persian Gulf Online
Persian Gulf Online sent the following note to Google, Inc. CEO Dr. Eric E. Schmidt. We encourage all friends of Iran send a similar friendly letter of complaint to Google.
25 February 2008
Dr. Eric E. Schmidt, CEO
Google Inc
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Dear Dr. Schmitt,
It has come to our attention that Google is including "Arabian Gulf" as a synonym or alternative term for the Persian Gulf on its Google Earth maps.
Please note that "Arabian Gulf" was once used as a reference to what is known today as the Red Sea [1] which renders its reintroduction as a variant for the Persian Gulf even more misleading. Historically, the accuracy of the term Persian Gulf is beyond dispute. Several legal documents from the United Nations as well as the United States Board of Geographic Names confirm its legitimacy, as do centuries of classical history, including a reference to the body of water by Greek geographer and astronomer Ptolemy as the Aquarius Persico. The Persian Gulf has been known and recognized as such for more than 2,500 years. Agreements have also been solidified by the signatures of all six bordering Arab countries on United Nations directives declaring the name of this body of water as the Persian Gulf.
Applications of false and divisive references made to the Persian Gulf were first observed approximately 50 years ago, and formed part of a pan-Arab strategy aimed at diminishing the status of non-Arab influences in the Middle East. Iran and Israel, being non-Arab states, were the obvious target of this practice within the movement, initially attributed to and adopted by former Egyptian President and strongman Gamal Abdel Nasser, later promulgated and employed by the deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Today, it is frequently used as a tool of destabilization by unsavory radicals and militants.
We do not presume that by alluding to the Persian Gulf with a secondary reference, your intentions mirror those of the aforementioned parties but remain concerned that your action will be misconstrued by your website visitors as political in nature as no legal or geographically technical grounds exist for the inclusion of such terminology.
Given the fact that Google Earth is designed as a learning tool, its accuracy is of the utmost importance. We reiterate and reaffirm our position that the term "Arabian Gulf" is not only incorrect due to its past usage as a synonym for the Red Sea, but that its use will be perceived as reflective of your alignment with revisionist elements intent upon using the renaming of the Persian Gulf as a divisive political tool.
It is for these reasons that we, along with thousands of others expressing their discontent via this online petition [2], ask that Google avoid making such political statements and protect its reputation as an unbiased source of information by promptly correcting this mistake.
Sincerely yours,
Persian Gulf Online Organization
[1] Arabia, Red Sea & Persian Gulf [G. Child], Bellin, c. 1752, Rare Maps & Books
[2] Petition Online: Immediate and unconditional deletion of "Arabian Gulf" from Google Earth
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Google Joins the colonizer's National Georgraphic Society in "geographical incorrectness".
Payvand.com: A Letter to Google: It's Persian Gulf
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13 comments:
More subtle BS.
sounds to me as political rather than academic paradox
however i am sure that the contemporary red sea has always been named [Red] coz of the coral formations.
As for the gulf, it was historically called the Persian Gulf in most reference, including the US Army-HQ-CentralCommand
nevertheless, It is Geologically better to be named [Arabian Gulf], coz its geological origin relates to the Arabian Peninsula Land Mass
culturally is better to be named Persian
Aardvark:
nonesense, my friend!
Geographical names are political entities, they are neither cultural nor geological!
And your argument about the "Arabian landmass" humored me!
Renaming the Persian Gulf as Arabian Gulf is a part of teh grander scheme of "pan-Arabism" and "Zionism" implanted by the Brits to make sure there are always fires burning under the ashes, should their arms dealers and gas guzzlers wish to have a fight in that god forsaken region.
Clearly, the Chimpromised MSM is doing the work they're known best for-bolstering the official monkey line. This is but a small example of the services they render to their simian master.
Maybe they can now inform him of the cost of a gallon of gasoline in America, or the unemployment rate. He seems to be clueless abouteither.
i never realized that the social oriented pan-arabism of Al-Baath & Nasser Zealiots been MI-6 funded !!!
sorry, i stick to my opinion of basically Academic debate that been hacked by political paradox !
I think Naj correct. The letter was a good move.
Revisionist writing, regardless of whatever content area it may be done in, is always up for scrutiny; personally I'm very cautious, even skeptical of this genre.
Good job Naj of getting the petition going! Though I wouldn't hold my breath for any positive outcomes here. I once partook in something similar for a newly released 'revised' map of Kashmir, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, and of course nothing changed! Hope you have better luck.
Well, the petition was not my job! I just passed on the message!
It was about 4 years ago that National Geographic published their world Atlas with Arabian Gulf! There was an UPROAR! And they somehow apologized!
I used to love NGS! But I boycotted it and expressed my displeasure to them in a letter!
This naming is a very sensitive issue! You see, As Westerners are trying to isolate Iran, Russians from the north and Arabs from the south I inching in on Iranian territory! That STUPID deplorable Ahmadinejad is kissing Arabs and Russian's bottom and is giving up WAY too much!
You may be surprised that I am expressing such utmost displeasure with Ahmadinejad! It is because when I was in Iran, I looked at him closely; he is a LIAR and the sooner the IRI gets rid of him the better it will be!
The problem is, Ahmadinejad is a liar, Khatami teh reformist is a coward, and Hashemi the powerful man is a crook! Khamenei, the supreme leader is caught between all these people and his "vision" is quite hidden to me!
I am somewhat disgruntled by what is happening in Iran! The human rights situation is deteriorating; the sanctions are worsening it; Iranian peopel are getting choked ONCE AGAIN by the neoconservatives and the fundamentalist allies in Iran. And what do we have? Clinton! Or McCain!
Anyways, I thought I should just put a warning out, that shoudl you ever see Arabian gulf written anywhere, you should expect Iranian protest!
We may differ on a LOT of things, but we are united in nationalism! :)
Ahmadinejad is little different from Chimpy. They're both men of limited abilities that rely on zealotry to prop their positions up.
Ahmadinejad and Chimpy NEED each other to keep the little people in both countries in line. Without a bogeyman, either one of them would be irrelevant-and we might have been rid of both of them by now.
What kind of response do you think they got considering the first thing they did was misspell the addressee's name?
" Dr. Eric E. Schmidt, CEO
Google Inc
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Dear Dr. Schmitt,"
Nunya:
LOL!
good one, girl! :))
as a Persian please just think if the glorious name get a change. what happens when someone read the history and come cross the Persian gulf, don't you thinks something missing in history.
i do not think someone suggests change the name in history.
dudes who wants to change the history the descendent of Herodotus the father of history.just think logically. god bless all of us
as a Persian please just think if the glorious name get a change. what happens when someone read the history and come cross the Persian gulf, don't you thinks something missing in history.
i do not think someone suggests change the name in history.
dudes who wants to change the history the descendent of Herodotus the father of history.just think logically. god bless all of us
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