Formal Objection to the Term “Persian Gulf” and a Call for Historical and Geographical Justice

To:
The Secretary-General of the United Nations
The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
Members of the International Academic and Diplomatic Community

From:
Ahwazi Human Rights Organization (Sydney, Australia)

Date: [Insert Date]
Esteemed Officials and Members of the International Community,

The Ahwazi Human Rights Organization hereby submits this official communication to express our deep objection and disappointment regarding the continued and exclusive use of the term “Persian Gulf” in official United Nations documents and global institutions. This designation, which is widely contested by both historians and native populations, fails to reflect the historical, anthropological, and cultural realities of the region — a region whose Arab identity is deeply rooted and consistently documented throughout history.

It is a matter of serious concern that the United Nations, an organization committed to justice, neutrality, and the representation of peoples, would uphold a naming convention that effectively erases the Arab heritage of the Gulf, particularly the indigenous peoples of Ahwaz, Bahrain, Oman, and the eastern shores of Arabia.
We stress the following:1. 1. Historical Cartography: Numerous maps from European, Arab, and Islamic sources — including a 1626 Latin map referring to the Gulf as “Sinus Arabicus” — confirm that the term Arabian Gulf has deep historical roots and was not invented in modern times.2. 2. Demographic and Anthropological Evidence: The coastal regions surrounding the Gulf have been historically inhabited by Arab populations, long before the Aryan migration that introduced the Medes, Persians, and Parthians to the Iranian plateau. The term “Persian Gulf” thus reflects a limited and politicized perspective rather than an objective historical truth.3. 3. Cultural Appropriation: The modern Iranian state has systematically sought to appropriate the identity of non-Persian civilizations, including the Elamites and the Arab Ahwazi people. Such historical revisionism undermines genuine academic inquiry and indigenous narratives.4. 4. Legal and Diplomatic Concerns: The reliance of the UN on diplomatic conventions established during colonial or Cold War eras — rather than scientific or anthropological consensus — is inconsistent with its charter and undermines its credibility in representing the rights of peoples and regions.Therefore, we call upon the United Nations and the international community to:

- Immediately review the naming policy regarding the Gulf and recognize the term "Arabian Gulf" as a historically valid and academically supported designation.
- Acknowledge the indigenous Arab heritage of the region, especially of the occupied Ahwazi Arab people, who have long suffered from cultural and political marginalization.
- Establish an impartial historical and geographical commission to re-examine naming conventions that affect indigenous identity and regional justice.

This is not merely a question of semantics, but of historical dignity, cultural recognition, and the right of peoples to define their own geography.

We await your urgent and serious consideration of this matter.
Respectfully,

Dr. Issa Enaya Al-Tarfi Al-Ta’i Al-Ahwazi
President
Ahwazi Human Rights Organization
Sydney, Australia
[Contact Email & Phone]
Annex – Supporting Historical and Cartographic Evidence for the Term “Arabian Gulf”5. I. Historical Maps Referencing "Arabian Gulf" or Equivalent Designations• 1626 Latin Map – “Sinus Arabicus”: Publisher: Willem Blaeu, Amsterdam; Repository: Leiden University Map Collection• 1740 Map by Emanuel Bowen – “Arabian Gulf or Red Sea; and Gulf of Basra”: Publisher: London• 1760 French Map – “Golfe Arabique”: Cartographer: Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville; Bibliothèque Nationale de France• Arab and Islamic maps (8th–14th centuries): Scholars such as Al-Idrisi, Al-Mas’udi, and Al-Biruni referred to the Gulf as Bahr al-Basra or Bahr al-Arab6. II. Academic and Historical References• “The Persian Gulf: Myth or Reality?” – Dr. Hadi Hussein Al-Yassiri, Arab Center for Geopolitical Studies, 2008• “Arab Presence in the Eastern Shore of the Gulf” – Prof. Abdulrahman Al-Bakr, Journal of Arabian Historical Studies• UNGEGN Archives: Reports on disputes over the Gulf naming• British Admiralty Naval Charts (19th century): Variably refer to the region as Gulf of Basra or Arabian Gulf7. III. Linguistic and Cultural Evidence• - The term “Gulf” itself (“خليج”) is Arabic in origin and appears in classical Arab literature long before Persian equivalents.
- Persian sources used “Daryā-ye Fārs” irregularly and primarily during Safavid rule.
Submitted by:

Dr. Issa Enayat torfi Al-Ta'i Al-Ahwazi
President – Ahwazi Human Rights Organization
Sydney, Australia
[Official Email Address]

Farooq.alahwazi@gmail.com