Rethink the Name “Middle East”
The term “Middle East” is one of the most widely used geographical names in the world. But have we ever asked: Middle East from where?

The name was coined from a European perspective, based on the region's position relative to Western Europe and the colonial world of the time. Even after the end of formal colonialism, this Eurocentric name has remained deeply embedded in international institutions, media, education, and everyday language.

We believe it is time to reconsider it.

The people and countries of this region should not have to define their geographical identity according to a viewpoint imposed from outside. This is a region with thousands of years of interconnected history and civilization—home to diverse peoples, cultures, and languages, and a crossroads connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe.

This petition does not seek to impose one country's preferred name on everyone else. Instead, it calls for an international and inclusive discussion about replacing “Middle East” with a geographically and culturally appropriate name chosen with the participation of the people of the region itself.

Our request
We call on international organizations, governments, academic institutions, media organizations, and linguistic authorities to:

• acknowledge the colonial and Eurocentric origins of the term “Middle East”;
• initiate an international discussion on alternative names;
• and work toward adopting a more geographically neutral and locally grounded name for the region.

Geographical names shape how we see the world. If maps, borders, and terminology can be reconsidered as our understanding of the world evolves, why should this name be untouchable?

Sign this petition to support a global conversation about giving this region a name that reflects its own geography, history, and people—not merely its position relative to Europe.