What do we need to know about the MENA region today?

When initially presented with the task of summing up the nearly two-dozen nations that are lumped together under this peculiar acronym, my immediate impulse was to emphasize that it is impossible to describe such a vast region in less than 200 words. Even the few commonalities that do exist among these modern states are not so easily compartmentalized. The era of colonialism, the Arabic language, the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam – each narrative is significant and synonymous with the region, but what then of the legacy of the Umayyad Empire, Farsi, and lesser-known but equally important religious communities such as the Druze? Essentially, the list of possible details is endless. With the existence of continuous civilization for millennia, what basic information can possibly do justice to such histories?

As I write this, North Africa and the Middle East are amidst revolution, steeped in the pursuit of finally breaking free from the autocrats who will become just that – history. Perhaps what can be said about MENA is that culture has been essential to these long-simmering struggles. Artists, intellectuals, literary figures and cultural practitioners have all actively pursued the free societies that their nations are now so close to collectively obtaining.