neo cons change the name of the Persian Gulf to Arabian Gulf

[donsu]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IJ27Ak01.html


Gulf renamed in aversion to 'Persian'


Various branches of the United States armed forces have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area. This is claimed to be due to increased cooperation with Arab states of the Persian Gulf, but also to follow local laws that ban the use of "Persian Gulf". In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which consists of seven emirates - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain, public use of the name "Persian Gulf" is illegal.

The nationalistic sensibilities of the UAE's ruling families do not go much beyond waging this nominal jihad. The name of the body of water is most important to Arab nationalism, but what is actually in the water apparently is not a matter of national concern: the UAE ports host more US Navy ships than any other port outside the US <1>.

-snip-

American universities in the region have also dropped references to "Persian Gulf" in their teaching materials. <2> While these institutions have shown immeasurable flexibility in adapting to the sensibilities of their hosts, they are totally silent to the plight of the majority of people living in the UAE: the other 80% or so who make the economic wheels turn and who are considered so alien to the identity of this Arab "nation" that they cannot stay in the country after retirement age without a job, and they are officially labeled "deportable aliens" by the UAE government.
(the she-cheney wins one)

-snip-

By law, teachers in UAE public schools are prohibited from uttering the phrase "Persian Gulf" in classrooms, so as to keep the mind of the Arab children on their "national" identity, which traces its roots back to 1971; historical maps of the Gulf are vandalized to erase the "Persian" word, and school children are deprived of original depictions and documents.
-snip-
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well, before long we won't be 'americans', we will be 'north american unioners', or nau.

[CoffeeCat]

1. Does that mean...

...that Jaffar from Disney's "Aladdin" will be on the new
Arabian Gulf logo?

[Basileus Basileon]

2. What's the problem with this?

The United Arab Emirates wants it to be called the Arabian Gulf. We go along with them in the region.

[donsu]

3. oh, you made me laugh

what if the neo cons wanted to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico?


or rename Delaware Bay

and they just might as they get away with doing whatever they want

[Dhalgren]

4. The problem is that it isn't the "Arabian Gulf" - it's the "Persian Gulf".

Why don't we change the name of the Gulf of Mexico and call it the Gulf of Mississippi? International conventions must be adhered to to minimize the chaos. If every geographic entity were to be called something different by every other country or changed every time some partnership changed it would be ridiculous - just as this is. It's the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf...

[Basileus Basileon]

7. And we did not officially rename it. We're simply adhering to the conventions

of the UAE when in the UAE. Problem?

[baldguy]

5. I suppose you get Freedom Fries with your Big Mac?

The neocons want to own the language.

[Basileus Basileon]

8. They didn't change its name in America, now did they? nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. What is it called by the Persians? nt

[msongs]

9. simple answer - the "arabians" have more oil & money, do! nt

[1000evorlrak]

10. Not odd at all really.....

The name of the body of sea water that begins at the Strait of Hormuz and end at Iraq and Iran border has largely depended on where in the region you are standing at any given time.

The arabian cultural group calls it the Arabian sea. It always has. That means Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Dubai all refer to it as the Arabian Gulf. Stars and Stripes has referred to the Arabian Gulf since at least 1997.

Persians, meaning mostly Iranians, refer to it as the Persian Gulf.

We're on outs with Iran and have been for some time now, while having strategic alliances with the arabians. So, we adopt their name for now. If we find ourselves sharing a strategic alliance with Iran and on outs with the arabians in the future, I suspect we will revert to calling it the Persian Gulf.

[HeeBGBz]

11. Someone have a problem with big hairy cats? n/t