Comments on: Beyond the Gulf

By: elinor(Iran)

elinor(Iran) — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:14:26 +0000

Hi Jessica:) It is wonderful that you are trying to improve your mothertongue online:)
In case of native Arabs in Iran, they already speak their mother tongue, but they would love to have a valid education of the standard Arabic language, the way it it being taught in Arabic countries. A truely bilingual educational system would meet the demands of the Iranians whose second language is Persian. In that case, out Baluchis, Kurds and Turks as well can learn the standard forms of their mothertongues as well as the standard language of their own country. To me it sounds funny that authorities would feel threatened to let that happen. All the best with your learning Arabic Jessica

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:55:31 +0000

I am an American of Arab roots and needed to learn Arabic, but was unable to travel. I tried to look for classes near my residence area but was not successful; luckily technology is a wonderful tool. The great thing is that there are also online programs for ARABIC Language learning as well.
I have tried some of them and they are extremely effective. It saves time, comes to you wherever you are, and you learn quite well. But there is one particular website that provides a real life experience that I really could not believe existed, I am learning and gaining great cultural experience through it, is called – arabicollege.com

By: elinor(Iran)

elinor(Iran) — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:22:12 +0000

Hi Rostam
As an Iranian I call the Gulf ” The Persian Gulf” and many other people in the world do the same. However, that doesn’t change the fact that in Arabic countries it is officially not the case. The fact that many Iranians are either ignorant of the fact or they are more inclined with their religious pilgrimages doesn’t change the reality.
How come these Iranian patriots haven’t heard of Persian Gulf being called Arab Gulf upto now? Patriotism is a sense good for the time of war, but one should be aware of leashing this very useful passion so that one is not blindfolded not able to see and address the real problems that the people might have and that is beyond the Arab or Persian cause, that is the problems with how we address our fellow country men who are not essentially Persian Speaking Iranians to begin with.
Nationalis is a sense that intervienes when countries go againt one another, but then there is also an option of thinking beyond the nationalism and reaching out for humanity, which is present at both sides of the borders.
Nationalims is a very worthy sensation when it would make a Persian speaking Iranian feel for the Arab Iranian, the Kurd Iranian, the Baluchi Iranian the Turk Iranian. Ity is very resourceful when it would make me as an Iranian Nationalist to love my country men, love the languages they speak, love their villages, love my Arab country men with their mother tongue, love them enough to give them a chance to learn it, speak it, be proud of who they are, where they are, without thinking any less of themselves as Iranians.
I am talking about the languages today, and I have pushed aside the politics, but I have a single question from you my dear country man, Rostam KHam, the Iranian Patriot, I am asking you a very simple question:
What do you know about compromising the rights of Iran in the Capsian sea? Have you ever heard of such a thing? Wheren’t you a patriot when oyu heard of that? Doesn’t that make you less of a partiot if you have no idea what I am taling about?
Then if you know of such thing, why I didn’t hear your voice as a patriot and the voice of other partiots from within Iran or out of it? Is it all ok to your sense of patriotism that the name is the same ” Caspian” but Iran’s rights over the sea are shrinking down day to day?
So if we are so numb and ok about that, how come suddenly the ” Persian Gulf” and the ” Arab Gulf” thing becomes very disturbing, while it hadn’t been a brand new issue? Does being disturbed by that make one more of a patriot compared to the numbness toward the Caspian deals?
I told you I would ask only one question, haha, I asked more
My point is talking about people of this region, who are a wonderful mixture of all these tribes, who either lean more to their Arab roots, or more toward their Persian ones, by the way, by Persian I mean all the people and all the dialects esisting and being spokien in Iran today.
What was my intention of sharing these thoughts was how much the people around this ” Gulf” are cool and adorable despite all these very frustrating and agitating baits for news broadcasting industry.
Rostam, if you are what you are for Iran you need to love the people of your country, the poor and the wealthy, the Persian and the non-Persian, and you need to acknowledge their rights, so that they would feel safe and happy in their own country, so that they would help their own country whole heartedly, so that they would feel as the Children of their own country, Persian , or Non-Persian.

By: Rostam

Rostam — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:35:36 +0000

My friend, how Sad it is to see and Iranian call the Persian Gulf other that its only name the Persian Gulf. How unfortunate is that because you saw other names for the Persian gulf in some Arab books you have been Arabized just because you got used to it. History is fact and the world call it the Persian Gulf. If there is somebody calling this region by any other name it is because of politics. Call it by its name or don’t call yourself Iranian, because you are an Arabized-Iranian, so call you self Arab and be Arab. It is not about race, It is about culture, we all are humans with different culture. you are free to choose but don’t try to change facts of the history for others!!!!!! Remember ,Only Persian Gulf. if you went to school you must be enough educated (if well) to know that. May be you choose a very bad school.