The Persian Gulf is the Persian Gulf

Honorable Mr. John Baird
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ottawa ON, Canada

Subj.: The Persian Gulf is Persian Gulf

Dear Mr. Minister,

In reference to your recent speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where you mentioned the Persian Gulf by a wrong name, assuming that a Foreign Minister must have sufficient knowledge of history and geography, your deliberate use of the misnomer was taken as offensive by the people of Iran.

While one cannot expect that all politicians know world history and geography well, for a Foreign Minister it is a must. A word from your mouth signifies official State policy.

If you prefer to change an international name as old as human history, you owe it to your people and the world to explain the reason. They have the right to know why you have decided to misname an internationally accepted name recorded even on Canadian maps and textbooks, a name used on world military and travel maps for three millennia, and also the International Hydrographic Organization, the United Nations and just about every country around the world.

While we the people of Iran would like to believe that this was only an unintentional mistake, or prompted by a mischievous advisor or lobby, or even a ploy to encourage certain countries to do more business with Canada, an apology to the Iranian nation would still be in order. You should have also foreseen future relations and trade opportunities with Iran before turning your back to us. Iranians have long memory.

Respectfully,

Kourosh Zaim, Member of
Iran National Front Central Council
Tehran – Jan. 30, 2014