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Name of the Persian Gulf
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The Persian Gulf and its name
The historical name of the Persian Gulf is a familiar
name for all the countries in the world, particularly
the countries of Middle East. Commenting on the issue,
Egyptian Dr. Mostafa Alfaqi said:
"In the decade of the 1950s, the cabinet of
Iran's then prime minister Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq was
overthrown and his foreign minister Dr Hossein
Fatemi was killed. The Shah, with his tense
relations with Iraq on the Arvand-Roud
(Shatt-ul-Arab) assumed the role of the region's
gendarme in opposition to the government of Jamal
Abdel Nasser. Therefore, the Arabs asked for the
change of the name of the Persian Gulf to the
Arabian Gulf when they saw that the Shah of Iran was
supporting Israel and was against Arab nationalism."
It seems natural that some low-minded and prejudiced
persons would want to change the authentic and
historical name of the Persian Gulf, but it is not
expected from intellectuals who should be clarifying
public opinion with historical truths. Considering this
fact, the prejudiced reaction of a person such as Jamal
Abdel Nasser to a historical truth thousands of years
old is regrettable.
According to another narration, the forged name for
Persian Gulf was fabricated and presented by a Jewish
Syrian, Eli Cohen, who was one of the members of the
Iraqi Baath Party in Damascus. As Iran and Egypt did not
have friendly relations then, and as the Shahanshah of
Iran was supporting Israel, the suggestion was welcomed
by Cairo. Cohen was later accused of espionage, arrested
for spying for Israel and executed in Damascus.
Considering all this, it seems improper that some news
and official circles of Arab countries prefer prejudice
to wisdom and use a false name for the Persian Gulf. The
Persian Gulf was called by this name even before the
advent of Islam. If there was any need to change the
real and historical name of the Persian Gulf, the
Prophet Mohammad would definitely have changed it. So,
what is the reason that some Arab countries
chauvinistically call for the change of this real and
historical name, merely because it bears a Persian name?
How is that some Arab countries, neglecting all the
historical truths, insist on using the false name, but
expect Iranians not to inform those centres that use
this false name? Iranians call those interested parties
to use the real name of the Persian Gulf is not the
result of racial prejudice, but it is a logical measure
that is accepted by any wise and fair person, as it is
accepted in international circles, including the United
Nations, and all are suggested to observe it.
See Also
The
History of Herodotus (485 - 425 BCE)
The Greek historian Herodotus in his book has repeatedly
referred to the Red Sea as the "Arab Gulf".
History
of Persian Gulf |