"WASHINGTON–Don't call them jihadists any more.And don't call Al Qaeda a movement.
The U.S. government has launched a new front in the war on terrorism, this time targeting language.
Federal agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counter Terrorism Center, are telling their people not to describe Islamic extremists as ``jihadists" or "mujahedeen," according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Lingo like "Islamo-fascism" is out, too.
The reason: Such words may actually boost support for radicals among Arab and Muslim audiences by giving them a veneer of religious credibility or by causing offence to moderates."
(Emphasis! mine!)
Words like "Islamofascist" are offensive to Muslims...? Well no shit Sherlock! And it took them how long to figure that out? Over 6 years, during which the number of Al Qaeda sympathizers throughout the world has grown exponentially, turning a small fringe group of nutbar extremists into a global movement...and you know it's a movement because now we're not supposed to call it a movement.
No doubt the creatively Islamophobic constituency will come up with a new set of labels, though I'm not sure how they'll top "Islamofascism". Maybe they'll just start calling them "Islamo-libtards". Or maybe just "liberals".
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