National Geographic Banned in Iran

According to this report, the Iranian Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry has announced that National Geographic is banned in the country in protest of the use of "Arabian Gulf" alongside "Persian Gulf" in its new world atlas.

Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaght, an official at Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, said the atlas, which was released in October, also must be corrected to remove a reference that says Iran has "occupied" several Gulf islands.

Both Iran and the United Arab Emirates lay claim over the Gulf islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs.

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"Both the distribution of the (National Geographic) publications and the activities of its journalists are banned until the publication corrects the atlas that used the phrase of the Arabian Gulf (in parenthesis) next to the Persian Gulf," Mr. Khoshvaght said.

There are those that would say the Iranians are being too sensitive, but it's important to remember that the last time Iran took issue with freedom of the press, they put out a contract on Salman Rushdie.

Understandably, times have changed and, as such, I'd like to encourage National Geographic to go ahead and revise their atlas. My recommendation would be to change the name of the country to "The Land Governed By Bearded Goats."