By Dr Nasreen Akhtar, Pakistan Observer

Middle East is a term which is used to refer the state is located between Near East and Far East. It is supposed that the idea of ‘Middle East’ originated by the US strategist, Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan, in 1902, but it is not correct, in fact, an earlier use of the term was used by a British officer, General Sir Thomas Edward Gordon, in 1900.

Moreover, there is an evidence to assume that the ‘Middle East’ may have already gained broader currency by that year. Writing in 1902 issue of ‘National Review’, Mahan proclaimed his manufacturing of the term, ‘The Middle East”, he said in his essay, “If I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will someday have its Malta, as well as its Gibralta”. Mahan implied that the Middle East embraced the territory between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. Today, the world makers, geographers and scholars know his defined region as “Middle East’.

Middle East is located in Western Asia and Northern Africa. There is no particular definition of Middle East; however according to an estimate, it consists of 18 countries which located in Western Asia and North Africa. Middle East is encircled by the most important water channels, most of them are High Seas, these water recourses are major part of significance of the Middle East which include;

“Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Red Sea. These resources of water are accompanied by the busiest Straits of world that are; Strait of Hormuz, Bab-al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. These water channels enhance strategic importance of the Middle East in the world. If we look at the history of Middle East it has an antiquity of several centuries. This region is a cradle of civilizations where at one time we see Pharos in Egypt whose culture and power is a speculation of wonder even today. On the other hand one witness the remains of Persian Empire whose archives can be found in history of Middle East including Jewish, Muslim and Christian’s sacred texts. Then we see the Advent of Islam which renovated the life of Arabs and gave them a new statecraft and a unique life style which provided a new identity and ideology. Middle East is not only a place of birth of civilization, it is place of emergence of Semitic Religion like Judaism and Christianity and both were dominated by Islam. This is one of the sole reasons that today Huntington’s clash of civilization is the most evident in the Middle East. Contemporary history of the Middle East dates back to First World War where on 16th May 1916 Skyes-Picot agreement was signed between the two great European Empires Britain and France.

Prior to Skyes-Picot agreement the Middle East was under control of Ottoman Empire who were Turks or Non Arabs, however, the self respect of Arabs like Sharif of Mecca had some reservation and in a series of letters called Sharif – McMahon (Hussian correspondence) letter to the British government solicited for the Arab states, in exchange revolt was required against Ottoman Empire. Correspondence between Sharif and McMahon comprised ten letters (July 1915-March 1916). In response Britain promised the formulation of an Arab State. Arab revolted against Ottoman Empire and it disintegrated officially in 1923. Ottoman Empire had expanded and successfully increased areas of Eastern Europe. On 16th May 1916, Britain and France signed a “secret agreement and took regions of Middle East under influence and divided into A and B zones. France captured the area of Levant e.g. Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Britain occupied Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE. However Libya and Egypt were divided between France and Britain”. After the Second World War when the European powers were ruined and were not able to support their colonies they granted independence to all these states. A major step was taken in 1948 as declaration of independent state of Israel. Britain promised for the Arab state, but created a Jewish state. ?

Middle East is conflictual region. There are many internal problems as well as external ones. Arab-Israel conflict seems never ending episode. The recent Trump policy in recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights provoked not only the Arab world but also the global community. Other conflicts such as sectarianism, ethnicity and ideology have taken deep roots in the Middle East. External forces have been exploiting these conflicts. In his interview with the Washington Post the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman has categorically said that “investment in Mosques and Madrssas overseas were rooted in the Cold War, when allies asked Saudi Arabia to use its resources to prevent inroads in Muslim countries by the Soviet Union” Owing to its connectivity with three major continents of the world, every state looking forward to the Middle East. This is the only region which consists of 53 percent of crude oil of the world. Most advance states like USA, Russia, even China cannot survive without oil resources, so this too increases its importance. OPEC deals with oil trade with rest of the world to fix the price of oil and tariff, certainly OPEC irks some major powers. Middle East is very significant for the world powers. Naval bases of major powers are located in this region due to its strategic location. In Syrian conflict one of major interest of Russia is preservation of its naval base at Tartus. The US has its fleets in the Indian Ocean as well as Persian Gulf. Since the world powers failed to maintain peace in the Middle East the Muslim world has brokered an alliance of 41 countries called “Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition”.

—The writer is Assistant Professor, IIUI, Islamabad.