Friday, May 8, 2009

More on words, words, words

In this article, Raymond Ibrahim lays out an excellent argument for using real, precise terms instead of euphemisms to fight Islamist terror. In particular, he reviews the accepted Sunni definition of jihad - a term the U.S. government has banned from use by its officials.

The reason: Americans use 'jihad' in imprecise ways because they don't really know what it means; and, since 'jihad' is a positive value for Muslims, why glorify terrorists who claim they are waging 'jihad'?

Lost in that puffery are two key points: Muslims are unlikely to be swayed by the words infidels use to describe them; and the U.S. government's first responsibility is to inform and communicate with its own citizens. (Thanks to the Middle East Forum.)

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