イランイスラム共和国大使館-東京- Persian Gulf Day

2022/05/05 - 06:38

Persian Gulf Day

National Persian Gulf Day

Persian Gulf Day

Persian Gulf Day

National Persian Gulf Day

News Agency (ABNA) April 30.2022 :

Iran expressed hope that the Persian Gulf will be a sanctuary of regional security and stability as well as a symbol of peace, friendship and co-existence among regional nations and others.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commemorates the arrival of the National Persian Gulf Day, which falls on Ordibehesht 10 (April 30).

Throughout the history of the region, which has been full of ups and downs, the Persian Gulf, this civilization-making span of water, has constantly been named the Persian Gulf or called by its equivalents in all foreign languages.

From millennia B.C. up until now, the Persian Gulf has always been referred to with the same ancient name or the ‘Persian Sea’ in a variety of books, travelogues, documents, maps, historical research, and numerous international documents written in different languages. Historians and researchers have emphatically used the same name, particularly incredible Islamic and Arabic sources of reference.

While laying emphasis on the policy of neighborliness, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran hopes that this body of water will be a sanctuary of regional security and stability as well as a symbol of peace, friendship and co-existence among regional nations and that others will respect the establishment of peace and security in the Persian Gulf by the littoral states.

We offer congratulations to all Iranians and those who have done their utmost to safeguard this soil and its waters on this great occasion, which is reminiscent of the expulsion of colonialists from the region, and pay tribute to the honorable martyrs of the Persian Gulf.

「ペルシャ湾の日」に際してのイラン外務省の声明

イラン・イスラム共和国外務省は、「ペルシャ湾の日」であるオルディーベヘシュト月10日の到来を祝賀する。

ペルシャ湾は、盛衰を繰り返してきた地域の歴史の中で、文明を築いてきたいにしえの水域であり、ペルシャ湾の名称はそれに相当する世界のすべての言語の訳語で継続的に使用されてきた。

紀元前数千年から現在に至るまで、書籍、旅行記、文書、地図、歴史研究、さまざまな言語のさまざまな国際文書で、「ペルシャ湾」または「パールス海」のいにしえの名称は、歴史家や学者によって常に言及・明記され、強調されてきた。特にアラビア語とイスラム教の重要な史料においてもその名称で説明されている。

イラン・イスラム共和国政府は、近隣諸国政策を強調し、この水域が地域の安全と安定を保証し、地域の諸国民の平和、友情、共存の象徴となることを望んでいる。またペルシャ湾周辺諸国による平和と安全の確立を、域外諸国が尊重することを願う。

地域からの植民地主義者の追放を記念するこの素晴らしい日に際し、すべてのイラン人とこの土地と水の保護に最善を尽くした人々に祝福申し上げる。そしてペルシャ湾の高貴な殉教者の記憶と名前を称える。

The name ‘Persian Gulf

The name ‘Persian Gulf’ and its synonyms is used in naming this water body in all of the maps produced before 1960. Before this time, even the Arab countries used the name Persian Gulf. The ancient Greeks and early Roman historians referred to this body of water as the Persian Gulf in their maps and texts.

Moreover, European and Persian Muslim map printers also used the name Persian Gulf. The Arab countries adopted the name Arabian Gulf after the Arab nationalism. They celebrated their achievements and sought ways to enhance their welfare. Some of these ways included shunning the western influence and renaming the Persian Gulf . Initially, the name Arabian Gulf was used to refer to the Red Sea. Several names like The Gulf, Arabo-Persian Gulf, and Islamic Gulf have been suggested to replace the name ‘Persian Gulf’ but the matter still remains unresolved. Most countries and organizations use the name ‘Persian Gulf’ to refer to this water body, for instance, the United Kingdom, United States, the Group of Experts on Geographical Names, the United Nations Secretariat, and International Hydrographic Organization, among others.

These organizations have done research on the history of the Persian Gulf and established that the original name of the gulf should be maintained. (Freedman and Karsh,1992). In 1993, the Foreign Names Committee rejected a proposal from U.S. Central Command to change the name ‘Persian Gulf’ to ‘Arabian Gulf.’ The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) also concluded that the longstanding BGN-approved name ‘Persian Gulf’ is still the appropriate standard name for use in official U.S. Government publications. (parssea Magazin)

From the point of view of the Iranians, the changing of the name from ‘Persian Gulf’ to ‘Arabian Gulf’ is a threat to their rights and sovereignty. They feel that the Persian Gulf is part of their historical heritage and changing the name will deny them control over the gulf’s oil reserves. The Iranians also do not allow the use of neutral names like ‘The Gulf’ in reference to this water body.

Moreover, Iran has set aside a day to celebrate the National Persian Gulf Day on 30th April. On this day they celebrate the successful expulsion of the Portuguese from the Persian Gulf. Celebration of this day is meant to deter the Arab countries and other institutions that seek to change the name of the Persian Gulf.

In addition, the Iranian government is constantly seeking to enhance the Persian identity, for instance, there is the Persian Gulf Cup soccer league in Iran. The countries surrounding the Persian Gulf hold as occercom petition referred to as the Gulf Cup of Nations but Iran’s team does not participate because the contest does not use the name ‘Persian Gulf’ in its name but opts for the neutral name ’The Gulf’ .

The Iranian government has often imposed bans and boycotts on several organizations and countries that continue to use the word ‘Arabian Gulf’. In 2004, the National Geographic Society produced a map of the Persian Gulf and used both the names ‘Persian Gulf’ and ‘Arabian Gulf’ to refer to this water body. This led to a very heated reaction by the Iranian government and other political groups in Iran.

Many Iranians staged protest even on the internet and this led to the banning of all National Geographic Society’s publications in Iran. In response to this, the National Geographic Society edited the atlas and removed the name Arabian Gulf from the map. Instead a note was added stating that only some people refer to it as the Arabian Gulf. Moreover, they got rid of Arabian alternative names that they had used for some of the Persian islands

Another controversy arose when the Persian Gulf was referred to as the Arabian Gulf at the 16th Asian Games opening ceremony in China. The Iranian government was not pleased with the constant reference of this water body as the Arabian Gulf by the Asian Games sponsors and even threatened to stay away from the event.

The Chinese government was forced to apologize to the Iranians for that error. Another dispute led to the cancellation of the annual Islamic Solidarity Games held in Iran because the Saudi Arabians suggested that the brochures and medals should have the name Persian Gulf removed from them. This greatly angered the Iranians

because they viewed it as an insult to their sovereignty(Limbert,2010)

* The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) and the Persian Gulf **

United States Board on Geographic Names Foreign Names Committee

Statement Regarding the Name ‘Persian Gulf. FNC Special Electronic Vote

APPROVED February 21, 2020

The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is aware of regional and national sensitivities associated with the name of this geographic feature, and with similar toponymic issues in other parts of the world. The basis for the BGN’s decision on the name ‘Persian Gulf’ rests on two of the Board’s policies covering the selection of standard names in areas outside of the United States.

The first policy addresses selection of standard names for high seas features, i.e., bodies of water and maritime features that contain area beyond the sovereignty of a single nation. Board policy1 states that a single conventional name, if one exists, will be chosen as the standard name for such features for official use in U.S. Government publications.

The second policy covers the selection of a conventional name, defined as an English-language name in widespread and current usage. Qualification of an English-language name under the criterion of “widespread and current usage” is determined by consulting, among other sources, the latest editions of the various print and online English-language geographic references.

In applying these policies to the case of the subject high seas feature, the Board’s Foreign Names Committee has determined that the longstanding BGN-approved name ‘Persian Gulf’ is still the appropriate standard name for use in official U.S. Government publications.

In 1993, the Foreign Names Committee rejected a proposal from U.S. Central Command to change the name ‘Persian Gulf’ to ‘Arabian Gulf.’

Use of the term ‘Arabian Gulf’ is acceptable when communicating informally with Arabic speaking military and government partners in the region. In comments to the press, and in maps and reports reflecting the U.S. Government positions, including any products for use across U.S. Government agencies or departments, policy dictates use of the BGN-approved name ‘Persian Gulf’ only.

1 Names of Maritime Features policy approved November 29, 2005

کتاب اسناد نام خلیج فارس میراثی کهن و جاودان نسخه 1383- نسخه 1388

Documents on the Persian Gulf's name. By Dr. Ajam

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn/ungegnSession23.html

https://www.isna.ir/news/1401021006511/

https://kids.kiddle.co/Documents_on_the_Persian_Gulf%27s_name

https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Documents_on_the_Persian_Gulf%27s_name

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNaSK87KXFA

https://fa.wikibooks.org/wiki/اسناد_نام_خلیج_فارس،_میراثی_کهن_و_جاودان/فصل_ششم:اسناد_و_نقشه_های_تاریخی

https://ja. wikipedia.org/wiki/ペルシャ湾の名称に関する史料、いにしえの永遠の遺産

https://www.isna.ir/news/1401021006511/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNaSK87KXFA