Support NeoGAF

[shinobi602]

I do agree it's stupid that it's not in there. Every body of water is labeled but that.

(CNN) -- 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."

On state-run news agency IRNA, Iranian officials accused Google of having removed the words "Persian Gulf."

Google did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

But a Google spokesperson told Britain's The Guardian newspaper that the Internet giant had not removed the term "Persian Gulf" -- it had not labeled it from the beginning, as is the case with many other places.

If you type "Persian Gulf" into Google maps, the resulting map shows you the Persian Gulf but does not label it. Nearby bodies of water -- including the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea -- are labeled.

Google uses the marker "A" to show you whichever location you requested. The column to the left of the map does say that the A is in the "Persian Gulf."

Anger over the lack of a label on the map has spread not just within Iran's government, but among the population and Iranians living around the world. At least nine pages on Facebook are dedicated to the issue, including "Hey Google, put Persian Gulf back on the map" and "Boycott Google for removing Persian Gulf from the maps."

The dispute over what to call the gulf, which borders several countries, including Iran, has raged in recent years, and has previously involved the U.S. military. The U.S. Navy officially refers to it as the Arabian Gulf.

In December 2010, the Navy responded to thousands of angry, pro-Iranian messages on its Facebook page.

"We are aware of the long and proud history of the Persian people," the Navy said at the time. It added that "Arabian Gulf" is used for its forces, but that in other respects, including nautical charts and publications, "the historic name of Persian Gulf is used."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/17/world/meast/iran-google-gulf/index.html

 

[slit]

Anger over the lack of a label on the map has spread not just within Iran's government, but among the population and Iranians living around the world. At least nine pages on Facebook are dedicated to the issue, including "Hey Google, put Persian Gulf back on the map" and "Boycott Google for removing Persian Gulf from the maps."

Yeah, okay, some people just need to get a life. I mean really.

 

[ssoass]

I think the feud between some Iranians and gulf Arabs about whether to call it the "Persian Gulf" or the "Arabian Gulf" is pretty funny.

 

[linko9]

New name: "New Lake Michigan." Do it Google.

 

[Kosmo]

Would be interesting to see how Israel is labeled on the maps Iran uses in schools.

 

[Stumpokapow]

There are many disputed territories in the world. Cartographers have to grappled with what to call Burma (Myanmar, as the Junta does, or Burma, as it was--both on the Google map pictured), the Occupied Israeli Territories ("Palestine", "Occupied Territories", "Israel", etc--just Israel on the Google map pictured), Taiwan/Republic of China (Taiwan on the Google map pictured), as well as emerging nations like Somaliland (not on the Google map pictured), Transnistria/Transdneistr (area not visible in screenshot), etc.

It's true that people feel deeply about issues related to their homeland and have strong emotions about labeling. I think everyone can appreciate that. And I think names are important.

But the first step is to assume good faith on the part of (independent, non-governmental) cartographers, recognize that it takes time to win political fights and that most cartographers are not in the business of emancipating oppressed people, but rather attempting to remain as neutral as possible until the questions are settled.

By not labeling this area, Google isn't trying to slight any of the stakeholders, they're trying to say "We're in a really hard place here, and we need you guys to sort things out so make it easier for us to come to our own conclusion".

 

[Dude Abides]

They should label it "Gulf of America and Israel"

 

[phosphor112]

For the record, it was previously labeled as "Persian Gulf."

 

[Enkidu]

Why is there such a controversy over what to call it? There doesn't seem to be any problem with the Gulf of Finland and the Russians and the Finns haven't exactly been on friendly terms throughout most of history.

It also seems silly to call it the Arabian Gulf. If you are displeased with the name because it makes it seem like the gulf belongs to Iran, then how about picking a neutral name and not one that makes it seem like it belongs to you instead?

 

[noah111]

Just label it "Persian-Arabian Gulf". FFS middle east, disputes like this is the epitome of what's wrong in the region, imo. How silly.

 

[Alucrid]

body of water gulf

 

[Deadbeat]

Why is there such a controversy over what to call it? There doesn't seem to be any problem with the Gulf of Finland and the Russians and the Finns haven't exactly been on friendly terms throughout most of history.

Because in the eyes of the world, finland butt whipped russia so hard in the winter war they will never live it down.

 

[bengraven]

Why is Google at war with Islam?

 

[NH Apache]

For the record, it was previously labeled as "Persian Gulf."

Source? Google says in the article that it was never labeled...

 

[Glasswork]

I live in one of the Persian Gulf states and the controversy surrounding the name of the gulf (Arabian vs Persian) is pretty funny, I myself refer to it as Persian in English and Arabian in Arabic, because that's what feels natural.

I don't agree though that Arabian Gulf is the 'correct' name because throughout history Arab cartographers have referred to it as the Persian Gulf, and in my opinion it should be the Persian Gulf in English in cases like this, because that's what most of the world for most of history have referred to it as, the Persian Gulf.

Either way, this is stupid.