Since I’m currently living in the Arabian/Persian gulf, I’m finding the current debate about whether the "gulf" is Arabian or Persian rather fascinating. For me, personally, it makes more sense to refer to it as the Arabian Gulf, although history reveals otherwise, as it has been called the Persian Gulf for thousands of years.

Apparently Iranians are irked by National Geographic‘s decision to include the term Arabian Gulf in their latest Atlas decision. I understand their sense of identity, but I think their reaction is a bit over-exaggerated! This Iranian blogger is encouraging what he calls “Google Bombing” to make sure the “Persian Gulf” tops the list of Google search results! Wow, what dedication.

Another blogger suggests Iran should team up with Israel in order to eliminate what he terms "the Arab dominance of the Middle East." That’s a novel point of view that I think will never happen in our lifetime.

A journalist working in Dubai told me that following the Iraq/Iran war, the term “Persian Gulf" was banned indefinitely across the UAE. This applies to textbooks, publications and newspapers among others. I’m not sure about the remaining Gulf countries, such as Qatar and Bahrain. Any insights?