...heaven ain't close in a place like this...

I have to wonder how many of the people protesting the National Geographic have actually seen this hotly-disputed atlas?

The story as you may have heard it: Those demons at National Geographic (god rot their bellies) have slandered our blessed nation by labelling our Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf. How dare they? And such. We must do something about this incredibly important problem which has such bearing on the state of the world's other, obviously less serious, problems.

The atlas doesn't, in fact, label the body of water as the Arabian Gulf. It is labelled as the Persian Gulf, and Arabian Gulf is included beside it in parentheses. Which, to me, speaks that Persian Gulf is being recognized as the primary, correct name as acknowledge by the UN and other international body BUT that Arabian Gulf is included for the benefit of the many who consider and name the area "the Arabian Gulf", as do many nations in the Middle East.

What this tells me is that the National Geographic, instead of antagonizing one party or another, is trying to please all and acknowledge the interests of all. Three cheers for them.

I'm as nationalistic as most Iranians and take as much pride and love in my country - but to me, this argument and the effort to protest it smacks of "get over yourself".