[OSM-talk] Persian/Arabian Gulf Tagging

[Bert -Araali- Van Opstal]

Nice attempt Ebrahim and much appreciated, I know it's sensitive.

Your proposal seems a good compromise as to use "Arabic Gulf" as the 
Arab name used for the name "Persian Gulf", however not compliant with 
our wiki instructions. The Arab "translation" in the name:ar key should 
be Persian Gulf written in Arab. Arab Gulf remains in the alt_name.  The 
wiki is clear about this, so both in Farsi as in Arab it should read 
Persian Gulf, no matter the cultural, political or other sensitivities. 
Mixing both in the language keys will invite people to change the name 
back to one of the preferences in the name.fa or name:ar keys. It's 
exactly what we should avoid. Name should reflect the most common name 
in that specific language accepted by the majority of the world 
community, shown in maps by the majority of "non-related" countries or 
in case of doubt or disputes follow UN naming.

It is not the Iranian or Arabian community to decide here what the name 
should be or what one or the other prefer. The international waters name 
in OSM is given by an international community, the majority of the 
world, no matter what language they speak or script they use.

Similar issues appear worldwide when it comes to boundaries and names, 
locally even within borders it incites lots of issues.  The only 
remaining "compromise" not to disregard minorities or when a dispute is 
significant seems to me to use a "disputed" key with the name 
namespace.  I also intend to start using it for other similar conflicts. 
To reflect minority naming issues I propose to add name:disputed=yes or 
name:disputed=Arab community. I will be happy to make a wiki page for it 
and take it out for voting as a proposal.

I know it might be difficult and sensitive to make a conclusion here as 
somebody locally involved, but very brave, my respect !  I think the DWG 
should not be conclusive as you prefer, in my interpretation of their 
mandate they don't decide about values in keys because of political 
bias. The broader OSM community is.

Greetings,

Bert Araali

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