The Necessities of Setting up the Center for Persian Gulf Oral History

Abolfazl Hassanabadi *

The Name of Persian Gulf in the history of Iran is the result of a multi-thousand-year cultural record which today is undoubtedly our most important strong point in comparison with the Arab neighbors. The documentation of this history which can be achieved through highlighting the approach of cultural Iran in the Persian Gulf area is a significant aspect that should be noticed by the authorities.
The Persian Gulf area consisting of historical cities and islands is of great importance due to its strategic status politically, culturally, economically, socially, etc. The studying of the area's history especially after the Safavid era shows that the region has always been a disputed issue between Iranian governments and the outsiders. It has been a very important region due to its access to international waters and large inhabited islands economically and militarily. In view of the recent political disputes over the Persian Gulf, the issue has been noticed again seriously in different levels in Iran. The studying of the published works about the Persian Gulf shows:

1- Before the victory of Islamic Revolution in Iran and the first years after that, the region was put under observation primarily in terms of military, trade and economy. 

2- In the area of social issues and sociology, the number of the articles is few and they have been written just in recent years.

3- Most of the articles written in this regard have paid attention to the social issues and sociology from the viewpoint of historical antiquity, less addressing the current issues.

Unfortunately, it seems that most of the works done so far especially in the recent one or two years have been theoretical rather than applicative. The clear manifestation of this claim is the holding of numerous national and international conferences and the formation of master's degree of Persian Gulf Studies in the university.  Although the theoretical significance of the issue cannot be ignored, the reality is that we need to activate the potential capacities of the Persian Gulf with all power in order to prove our rightfulness which is not only in the name of Persian Gulf but in the entire grounds. For turning theoretical knowledge into applicative and achieving higher goals, the question is that who is responsible for a studied policy-making in this regard? In view of the different aspects of the Persian Gulf, has a center been established for coordination between various studies areas? What effective steps have been taken for documenting this region? What measures have been done for collecting written documents and oral evidences?
The study of the disputes between Iran and the Arabs in the Persian Gulf shows that we rely on our history in view of the historical antiquity, while the Arabs have focused on the current time and conducting scientific research in the field of contemporary history since they are newly founded. However, we can put ourselves in an ideal situation through long-term planning in the field of contemporary researches. Focusing on the application of oral history as an interdisciplinary topic can create a new development in the studies of the region. The establishment of a center which has a new view on the topics of culture and society and seeks to collect the latest information of the region is necessary in order to use this valuable research method and to form oral history.
The center should focus on several following issues which are of great importance:

A) Customs: Many customs in the form of religious rituals, mourning, celebrations, legends and myths will never be recoded and registered, and will fade away as time goes by due to its oral nature and the features of those who have information. The conduct of widespread research in this regard, especially in terms of showing the cultural richness vis-à-vis the regional countries and providing the initial sources for the researchers are very important.

B) Anthropology and Ethnicities: The Persian Gulf has been the transition path of various ethnic groups during the history. These ethnic links have caused the immigration and formation of new generations. Today, there are different races and ethnic groups with various cultures in the region which sometimes have commonalities with the neighboring countries ethnically and culturally and this is a good tool for the establishment of cultural relation. 

C) Trade and Economic Importance: The existence of historical ports in the region indicates that it has been a main trade path since long time ago. The collection of the region's economic information, way of livelihood and the economic relations of the institutions and organizations with other areas can be the most available source for the collection of oral information.

D) Military and Political Importance: The Persian Gulf has been on the focal point of major powers as a gateway for military entry to Iran. Information can also be collected in this regard.
In addition to the above mentioned cases, valuable information can be searched on other issues like the regional figures, historical places, the formation of administrations and offices, the exiles, the presence of outsiders, and so on.

Certainly, the foundation of such center with these high goals requires costs and effective human forces. The adding of some university lessons to the master's degree of Persian Gulf Studies like oral history, local history and archive can boost the students' scientific grounds more and more. Another point that should be reminded again is the significance of practical measures in the area of culture in line with more convergence in the region. At any rate, our historical record is common with many Persian Gulf states and the regional contemporary studies shows that there are deep cultural links in the region. Oral history can be used not only for collecting the proof of special viewpoints and opinions but also for highlighting cultural commonalities and boosting the sense of regional cooperation. This needs wisdom as well as discernment so that we can provide a real archive of information for the posterity. We should provide the grounds for the future researchers through planning and efforts for research and the setting up of the Center for Persian Gulf Oral History can be a great step toward this goal.

*PhD candidate of Local History at Isfahan University, and the head of Documents Group at Astan-e Quds Razavi
Translated by: Mohammad Baqer Khoshnevisan