IRAN: Flight attendant fired, minister threatened with impeachment in 'Persian' vs. 'Arabian' Gulf spat [Updated]

 

Here are two words that'll cost you your job in Iran: "Arabian Gulf."

Iranians take seriously their claim that the body of water separating them from the Arabian Peninsula should be called the Persian Gulf, and not the Arabian Gulf, as some in the Arab world call it. 

A Greek flight attendant for the Iranian-owned Kish Air learned this lesson the hard way. 

He was fired, according to Iranian media, after he allegedly traded words with passengers who complained against the use of the phrase "Arabian Gulf" on a plane's in-flight monitors.

Iranian officials have reprimanded the airline and deported the flight attendant. 

Now a group of lawmakers is gunning for the minister of transportation, Hamid Behbahani, a crony of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, over the incident, according to a report by the Mehr News Agency (in Persian).

"The use of a false name instead of the Persian Gulf on board the Kish-Tehran flight sparked the move," Mehr quoted lawmaker Mostafa Kavakebian as saying.

[Updated, Feb. 22, 9:15 a.m. PST: Behbahani has since delivered a warning that airlines flying to and from Iran have 15 days to remove any references to the "Arabian Gulf" or even "The Gulf" from their in-cabin television monitors "If they fail to do so, first they will be prevented to enter Iran for one month and if they enter Iran they will be grounded and the departure permission will not be issued for them," he said, according to state television. "If [the offense] is repeated, the permission for the airline company will be revoked."]

Kavakebian emphasized, however, that this wasn't the only reason for the impeachment drive against Behbahani, citing "unnecessary and inexpert changes to the management of the road and transport ministry, numerous accidents on roads, railways and in air, impractical and hollow promises, repeated violation of previous promises, ignoring the demands and wishes of lawmakers, propaganda for half-finished projects and large expenses for personal publicity."

 -- Los Angeles Times

Image: A detail from the website of Kish Air.

Comments

[MJ]

Come on all!

Every stupid poeple can begin a war but not all of them can terminate it by their own.

Let's think about what we are doing with it. Shouldn't we be worry about its echological being as we are about such temporary denotion. Poltisism have made up such new name and will finally resolve it somehow while we continue to stand against.
It is not the most butiful but a butiful place to survive across instead of die through!
We Iranians together with our dear Arab neighbors will strive to survive around this antient lovely teritory and ofcourse through being supported by all nations who respect the earth as our main and great home.
That magnificent green-blue tiny sphere which is called EARTH with no conflict.

[Ali]

to my Arab and Greek friends who make funny comment in here.
thanks for your funny comment dear Yanni
Greeks are respecting freedom of speech ? look @ the Cyprus and see what they do to Turkish Cypriots. and also look at your lovely country Greece and see the LGBT people inside that country, how " happy" they are.
and for my Arab "brothers",they believe in freedom in all the aspect.
look at the woman's living condition in their country or look at the Israel do they give the Jews to have their own land.

[Angel]

Come on, it's just a name! Let's call it the "Water Gulf", or the "Let's-not-be-stupid Gulf", or the "You-must-have-something-better-to-do Gulf"!

[Joe]

Ask any educated person about their thoughts on Persians and Semites, one will be recalled as old and magnificent actor which is mentioned kindly in all the written records including holly books, other still trying to buy their way to be remembered not as "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" savages :)

[ordony]

@bigbadbenni
GET A LIFE.
impeachment ?80 million boots? territorial integrity? war? over a flight attendant use of words?
take your words and boots back to the seventh century were you belong along with your khomeini threats.
it is the ARABIC GULF.
by the way do you know that you worship an ARAB?(does Ali ring a bell) LOL.

[bigbadbenni]

Hey Yanni [and anyone else who feels like you],

Iran is not a "pretend" country that was fabricated for the convenience of western oil countries. We have been there for many Milena. It is the Persian gulf . It has been for centuries and will always be.

The Arabs; or you for that matter, should not forget that fact, or get overly brave just because there are a few hundred thousand American soldiers who are getting drunk and getting their rocks off during their R&R. Remember that there are 80 million Iranians that live a stone's throw across the water. The American soldiers will leave sooner or later. Either today, or 100 years from now.

We can not afford to ship every stick of chewing gun, can of spam, bottle of water, condom, and tampon for ever. In case you haven't noticed we are already broke. The Iranians have been there since prehistoric times [take a look at your old testament; we are mentioned in it a few times :) ] and will always be there even when the oil is gone .... Don't get A.D.D., and don't be stupid :)

I am not a fan of the current government of Iran; however, if it comes right down to a war of territorial integrity; you just might find my boot along with 80 million other Iranian boots male, female, young, and old firmly wedged deep inside where the Sun does not [and was not meant to] shine.

Don't confuse not liking the government of Iran with not liking Iran. Let me explain. For example: When Californians despised George Bush, and were ashamed of US policies; that did NOT translate into not loving America, or not caring if someone tried to Annex Puerto Rico, Alaska, or Saipan. The same is true of Iran. More true in fact. America has not had time to consolidate it's nationalism like we have had over the past 7000 to 10000 years. We go a little [or a lot] crazy when it comes to Iranian Soil. We love our land and will fight for it.

That is the bottom line and the end of story. We are not looking for a war, but if you want one by god you will have it. This statement is true of every Monarchist, Islamist, Athiest, Agnostic, Orthodox, Jewish Iranian of any color or creed[even the ones I haven't listed]. We may have issues with each other, but that can be dealt with after we kicked YOUR Arab butt back across OUR borders.

[Yanni]

Well done to the Greek, we Greeks and Arabs are brothers. It is called freedom of speech which iran knows nothing about!

[seemurgh121]

Hay folks !!! are you running out of story about Iran that you have to write about firing of a flight attendant??? What we are suppose read next? Ahmadinejad tooted in public and it was too load???

[AJ]

Well done to the person who fired her. Every person in the world should respect the international map.