Minister John Baird: Please use the correct name when referring to the Persian Gulf

Dear Minister Baird,

Re: Persian Gulf

We are proud Canadians, including some of Iranian heritage, that are writing to you with respect to your speech delivered to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on January 16, 2014, in Washington D.C.

In your remarks, you erroneously referred to the Persian Gulf as the "Arabian Gulf," which we find incredibly offensive and unsettling given that it is an internationally recognized historical fact that the correct name for this body of water is the Persian Gulf.

This historical fact is recognized as far back as the 10th Century writings of the Arabic Christian writer Agapius. In recent years, the UN Secretariat has issued several directives to UN Staff to ensure the correct name of "Persian Gulf" is used in UN Documents. And finally, many of us have been educated in the Canadian public school system, where maps have included the Persian Gulf's correct name.

While we have observed the Harper Government take some policy measures that may be related to Iran's nuclear activities or human rights issues, we are perplexed as to how referring to the Persian Gulf erroneously does anything more than insult Canadians and the people of Iran.

The Iranian Canadian community totals approximately 200,000 members and is exceptionally active in the Canadian democratic process as volunteers, donors, and most importantly voters.