Islamic Solidarity Games cancelled after Iran insists Gulf is 'Persian'
Iran insists on calling the key waterway the 'Persia' Gulf, while other Muslim states say it is Arab.
By Reuters Tags: Saudi Arabia Iran Israel newsA Saudi-based body organizing the world's second Islamic Solidarity Games has cancelled the sports event planned for Iran amid a dispute over whether the Gulf waterway is "Arab" or "Persian."
The Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, an affiliate of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference based in Saudi Arabia, said after a meeting on Saturday it decided to scrap the games which had been set for April.
The federation said Iran had taken "unilateral measures concerning logos used on printed material and medals," a statement sent to Reuters on Monday said. Secretary-General Muhammad Qazdar said that was in reference to Iran's planned descriptions of the Gulf.
Designation of the key waterway for global oil and gas supplies has long been a touchy issue among the countries bordering it -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq and Iran.
Iran says it is the Persian Gulf, the Arab states say it is Arab. Foreign language descriptions can offend either party if they use one name or the other, or sometimes if they avoid an adjective altogether.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Monday the federation should reconsider its decision but insisted the waterway was Persian.
"The logo and naming should be done correctly, based on international norms and regulations and the naming by the United Nations," he told reporters on Monday.
"So basically the board of directors did not have the right to just interfere in such a process... We hope they will reconsider," he added.
The sports federation said a dispute over television rights and Iran's failure to provide information over steps to contain H1N1 flu also contributed to the decision to cancel the event.
The dispute comes amid tensions between Sunni Muslim-led Arab countries and non-Arab, Shi'ite Iran over increased Iranian influence in the region through its allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally which sees itself as the leading Sunni state, is trying to rally Arab countries to challenge Iran, who it fears wants to obtain nuclear weapons and win U.S. recognition as the region's leading power.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are also at odds over a Shi'ite revolt in north Yemen. Riyadh has been fighting the rebels since a cross-border raid into Saudi territory in November, while Tehran says the fighting should be brought to an end through talks.
The Islamic Solidarity Games were first held in Saudi Arabia in 2005 with the participation of 55 countries, including Iran. They were delayed from October last year over flu concerns.
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nothing to do with it. Who cares what saudies think. Persian Gulf is a historic fact.
The 1911 Encyclopedia is out of date. Things change dont' you know. India was British once, is it today ? Anyway, perhaps it could be called the Trouble Gulf ahead of what's coming unfortunately.
The Persian Gulf has been called so by even the ancients. Maps of antiquity (older than 1000 years old) show clearly the name and title, Persian Gulf or Gulf or Persia. Iranians have called it the "Khalij-e-Fars" or "Khalij-e-Pars", in Old Persian, for thousands of years. In the US, we call it the Persian Gulf War, not the Gulf War. Iran retains the largest coastline with the Persian Gulf.
with the glowing ignorance reflected in posts from people who can't distinguish between nationality, culture, and religion because of their personal bigotry and stereotypes.
Go to the 1911 Encyclopaedia Brittanica. It's 'Persian Gulf,' and that, for English speakers, should be that. God has spoken.
It's been called the Arabian Gulf since at least the 1970's by the Arab Nations. If you did business with these Arab Nations (since the 1970's) you had better call that patch of water the Arabian Gulf. Just as if you do business with Iran you better call that the Persian Gulf. It's not just in that part of the world that names are changing. Just wait, and we had better be prepared. I just thought you might like to know.
I dont' know how to take your response, but I am not available for hire . By the way where is the State of skb ? Anywhere near the Persian ? Arabian ? Gulf ?
"when they take over Europe and the rest of the world." When that happens, let's just hope that the caliphate hires you to rename the newly conquered territories.
If among Moslems they cant' even agree on the name of a Gulf, which each side claims to be his, imagine what it would be if and when they take over Europe and the rest of the world. The English Channel, La Manche for the French would become the Kabbab Channel or Alqaeda Waterway. The Irish Sea would become the Sheep with rice Sea or Long live Hamas sea ; the North sea naturally wld become the Oil Sea , and the Mediterranean the Caliphate Sea, or perhaps Victorious Hizbolah Sea. The Indian Sea the Kor'an Sea, the straight of Gibraltar wld be Straight Sharia, the Atlantic Sea to be called Muhammad Sea , and finally the Pacific Sea to be the Jihad Sea or War Sea....., see the war ? if we dont', it wont' be a joke anymore.
"Let them burn each other.." Where is your mind and where is God mercy? You sound very angry!! This is not a condition that you want to be in. Try reading about Islam and understand if this is realy the religion of God or it's just a man made set of rules. Try also reading some islamic history. What do you mean by moderate muslims?
thank you for the good laugh haaretz... these arabs are like the 3 stooges. pure slaptstick comedy.
The caustic chemistry between Shia and Sunni Islam does not allow for the two to solidify into portraying Allah's followers as one due to their chemical imbalance that remains untreated. When G-d isn't in the midst of the militants on both sides to humble them and make them teachable, then flesh and fleshly agendas instead drive them with the expected disastrous consequences, and in this case Islamic Solidarity is revealed internationally to be just a Game. If left unchecked, one day the Pirates of the Persian Gulf will rename the waterway as, the Islamic Republic of Blessed Iranian Waterways, or something to that effect.
Is it to be renamed the "Arab Gulf?" What's going on here? Salaam/Shalom
big egos who care more about their own version of Islam, than Islam itself.Their own interpretations of Islam take such extreme clauses out of koran/hadith that the Saudi Wahabbism and Iranian Shiasm barely resemble a religion at all and they certain will never coexist with each other and this is the one thing that might save a sleeping and naieve west concerning the goals of these two different versions of radical political Islam. For the sake of all the people of the ME and the world, it would be great if they go against each other, burn each other out and destroy each other and leave moderate muslims, Jews and Israel, Christians, Hindus,buddhists, Sikhs,women, gays, free press press and speech, the beautiful western democracy and human rights alone!!!Let them fight each other and go away forever