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Iran Threatens Legal Action Against Google For Not Labeling Gulf 'Persian'

Posted by timothy on from the hearts-and-mines dept.

New submitter PantherSE writes with an article at CNN about the geopolitical importance of labeling, excerpting thus: "Iran has threatened legal action against Google for not labeling the Persian Gulf on its maps. 'Toying with modern technologies in political issues is among the new measures by the enemies against Iran, (and) in this regard, Google has been treated as a plaything,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Thursday, according to state-run Press TV. He added that 'omitting the name Persian Gulf is (like) playing with the feelings and realities of the Iranian nation.'"

5 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. Seems so 1995... by adjuster · · Score: 5, Informative

    Back in Windows 95 you could click on your country on the world map to set the time zone. A border dispute caused complaints to Microsoft and they removed the feature (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2003/08/22/54679.aspx). This reminds me of that, only sillier.

    --
    The Attitude Adjuster, I hate me, you can too.
  2. US Government Does it Too by perry64 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I was in the Navy, and after the Shah fell and Iran became a thorn in the side of the U.S., we stopped calling it the Persian Gulf and started calling it the Arabian Gulf. It's still called that by the Navy and U.S. Government to this day.

    As it's bordered roughly on half by Arabian countries and half by Persian (Iran), there's a strong case for either.

    I looked on Google Maps and there isn't a name now, although I don't know if that was that way prior to Iran's actions.

    1. Re:US Government Does it Too by 0racle · · Score: 5, Informative
      Persian Gulf Veterans would like to have a word with you.

      Persian Gulf naming dispute

      "In recent years, due to increased cooperation with Arab states of the Persian Gulf, various branches of the U.S. armed forces have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area ("Persian Gulf" is still used in official publications and websites), partially to follow local conventions, or simply to follow local laws that ban the use of "Persian Gulf", e.g. in the United Arab Emirates."

      As it's bordered roughly on half by Arabian countries and half by Persian (Iran), there's a strong case for either.

      Well I suppose if you ignore everything else, including the fact that up until the 60's those Arabian countries were perfectly fine with the name, then yes, they have just a strong claim.

      It has been called the Persian Gulf since around 550 BC.

      --
      "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
  3. Re:What's missing? by Eevee · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yet, a Google Maps search for the Persian Gulf takes you right to the unlabeled gulf, while searching for Arabian Gulf doesn't.

  4. Re:Persian vs Arabian by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is not the only such place, either - Sea of Japan is unlabeled as well (I assume because Korea takes an issue with that label, preferring to call it "Eastern Sea").