Today in the UK we learn about the rise in Islamophobia since the Paris attacks. Understandably perhaps there is much confusion surrounding the terror group we call Islamic State. By calling the group Islamic State we are linking it to Islam. It shouldn’t be linked to Islam, to Muslims.
I want to clarify for you, very briefly, the names used to describe this terror group and suggest that we use the name DAESH to describe them.
Islamic State was formed in 1999 by a Jordanian militant who ran a terror camp, involved in bombings and beheadings in Iraq. The group grew. They called themselves Islamic State (IS) in recognition of their self declared caliphate. (an Islamic state with a leader who has absolute power and governs according to Sharia law).
You will also hear the name ISIL which stands for Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant. (The Levant is a historical term used to describe an undefined region around Syria).
You will also hear the term ISIS. This stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
After the Paris shootings the French Minister called for the terror group to be called DAESH. (Obama pronounces it Dash. Cameron pronounces it phonetically). Daesh is an Arabic acronmyn and it means to crush or tread underfoot and it’s an insulting, disrespectful term to their status making them look silly and powerless. It’s a humiliating term and reflects the fact that they are a terror group and not a state.
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