Persian Gulf or #&#% Gulf? Iranians Prickly Over the Name
CNSNews / Patrick Goodenough
01-May-2008 (4 comments)

Typing the search term "Arabian Gulf" into the Internet search engine Google brings up a list of results topped by a link to what looks like a standard "page unavailable" error message.

But it isn't an error message. Instead, the Web page says, "The gulf you are looking for is unavailable. No body of water by that name has ever existed. The correct name is Persian Gulf, which always has been, and will always remain, Persian."

Using a method known as "Google bombing," thousands of Iranian bloggers managed in late 2004 to manipulate the search engine results, pushing the "Arabian Gulf" search term to the top of the list -- a position it retains today.

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aryanium

Persian Gulf

by aryanium on Thu May 01, 2008 11:03 PM PDT

The Persian Gulf has gone by that name, or variations of that name, for millennia, according to historians and cartographers. Persia is the former name for Iran.

Use of the name Arabian Gulf was primarily instigated in the last century by nationalist Arab regimes in Egypt and Iraq.

Earlier this month, Tehran took Google to task for using the label Arabian Gulf in its Google Earth program, and warned that it may take legal action.


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K Nassery

Why are words so important to some?

by K Nassery on Sat May 03, 2008 04:24 AM PDT

People are using "the Gulf" or "Aravian Gulf" just to upset Iranians.  Use Persian Gulf and simply ignore others.  There are enough problems without getting upset over this.

 The Gulf of Mexico borders the US, but I don't care.  I just don't understand why this is an issue.


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It was actually instigated

by Rostam11111 (not verified) on Fri May 02, 2008 07:19 PM PDT

It was actually instigated by the British in the 1950's. The proposer was an English 'Arabist' (read Colonial trouble maker). It was first proposed in a Times article.


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Emam said...

by Anonymouss (not verified) on Fri May 02, 2008 06:54 PM PDT

The criminal anti-iranian half-hendi 13th emam also wanted to change the name from "Persian Gulf Forever" to "The Islamic Gulf". Yuk!


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