ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvən, ðɪ ɐsˌoʊsɪˈeɪʃən fɚðə stˈʌdi ʌvðə mˈɪdəl ˈiːst ænd ˈæfɹɪkə wʌz fˈaʊndᵻd æz ɐn ˌaɪdɪəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl kˈaʊntɚwˌeɪt tə mˈeɪsə.
In 2007, the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa was founded as an ideological counterweight to MESA.