Growing up in the “Middle East” often led me to think what does this term means and where did it originate from? I wondered because the word “middle” refer to the middle of something but what was it? We are in the middle of what? Further, where is East?
Long time age we also used to hear similar terms like Near East and Far East, but we do not hear those terms anymore, which ignited my thinking again. Then the question evolved: if Far and Near East are not being used anymore, why do we still use ‘Middle East’ why this term persists?
It is also important to note that this term is not only used in politics but even in business. Most multinational companies have the term ‘Middle East’ inserted in their divisions that focus on this region.
For Example, we hear the MENA office? What is MENA? This term stands for Middle East and North Africa. OK, we know Africa is a continent so North Africa refers to the countries covering the northern part and South Africa is the southern part. So again – what is Middle East?
Middle East or West Asia
Due to the above, we have observed that in most regions and countries in the world the cardinal directions are often used – North, South, East, West and as such we hear North America and South America; we hear Asia-Pacific and South East Asia and even central Asia; we also hear about North and South Africa; Central and Southern Europe. Yet, we do not hear West Asia, which the geographically proper term for the region so-called ‘Middle East.' Here we must say that the United Nations actually started to use the term West Asia but we are not sure if they use it across all of their literature.
Once again – why the Middle East? What “East” and why we are in the “Middle” of the East?
The topic came back into my mind on a recent visit to Istanbul. One morning during that visit the thought came back and I was not able to chase it away? What is so special about today? My family and I were visiting Turkey and Istanbul and as I was standing on the shores of the Bosporus (on the European Side) and looking across to the Asian Side. In Istanbul, we kept hearing about the Asian or European side not European and Middle Eastern Side. Hence my decision to write this evening about this topic.
Now why Middle East?
The origin of the name came from the British Empire. In those colonial days, there were:
- India representing the “East” and possibly the “East” stretched to China in the eyes of the British Empire,
- There was the Far East – referring to Japan, and other countries that we now call “Asia Pacific”, and of course
- There was and still is the “Middle East” referring to “somewhere” along the way to the “East” and this term refers to Arab Countries in West Asia and in some references it includes Turkey, Iran, some countries in East Africa and may even stretch further.
Would the Arab Spring bring a change in terminology as a new awakening rejecting colonial times and terms? We do not think so since the Arab Spring is partially influenced by the same colonial powers that invented things like Middle East.
Would companies operating in the region show some respect to the region and refer to it in the proper geographic term? Again, we do not think so.
Personally, I am trying to use the term West Asia in everything I write, although old habits break hard and might rarely use the old term. What we hope is that Arab companies, organizations, media, and others that are based on West Asia is to start refusing the term Middle East and use West Asia!
This article originally appeared at LinkedIn. Copyright 2015. Follow LinkedIn on Twitter.
