“Instead of using … terminology like ‘Southwest Asia,’ (colonialists) used ‘Middle East’ because they were also involved in imperial campaigns,” Behin said. It’s difficult to understand what the Middle East and ancient Near East are, especially when the words “Middle East” is used in modern politics while “Near East” is used for ancient scholarship, said Kara Cooney, an associate professor of Egyptian art and architecture. But by continuing to use terms like “Middle East” and “Near East,” UCLA is representing the region through an outdated and Eurocentric lens. Alvarado said the terms “Middle East” and “Near East” are geographic terms. Southwest Asia and North Africa are not as separate from the world as the term “Middle East” has us believe.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 07, 2018 06:22 UTC