If you have visited Google Maps recently, you may have noticed that Google has removed the title of the Persian Gulf—leaving the body of water without a name.
This follows Google’s 2008 decision to include the historically inaccurate and politically charged name “Arabian Gulf” alongside “Persian Gulf” in their Google Earth application.
The name “Persian Gulf” is historically accurate, legally acknowledged, apolitical and internationally recognized. But in the past century, and particularly at times of escalating tensions, there have been efforts to exploit the name of the Persian Gulf as a political tool—including by the likes of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.
In 2004, NIAC successfully worked with National Geographic to correct its maps that used the erroneous title for the Persian Gulf. Now, we need to act to make sure Google is not a tool of historical revisionism that sows ethnic and political divisions.
Sign your name on our open letter to Google’s CEO Larry Page to call on Google to stop playing name games with the Persian Gulf and to use the correct name. We will send the letter out on Monday, May 14, so make sure that you, your friends, and your family sign on to the letter before then.
NIAC will protect your privacy and keep you informed about this and similar campaigns.
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May 7, 2012