Originally published on the CGS blog on December 9, 2015.
After the November terrorist attacks in Paris, President Francois Hollande referred to the group more commonly known as ISIL or ISIS as “Daesh.” The name has been used intermittently by both government officials and media outlets, but to many, this usage was a pointed statement.
Daesh is the Arabic acronym used for ISIS, standing for “al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham.” The Boston Globe reported last year that,
The term ‘Daesh’ is strategically a better choice because it is still accurate in that it spells out the acronym of the group’s full Arabic name, al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham. Yet, at the same time, ‘Daesh’ can also be understood as a play on words—and an insult. Depending on how it is conjugated in Arabic, it can mean anything from ‘to trample down and crush’ to ‘a bigot who imposes his view on others.’
There are several factors at play here. From a political standpoint, there is the obvious issue of legitimacy. Both Islamic and State leaders refuse to address Daesh as the “Islamic State,” as it offers legitimacy to the terror group as a caliphate. With this in mind, United KingdomPrime Minister David Cameron announced this week that he and other British government officials would discontinue the use of “ISIL,” “ISIS,” or “the Islamic State.”
There are also ramifications for Muslims abroad. Over the last few weeks, as anti-refugee and anti-Muslim sentiment has grown in the United States, the terminology used in this conflict is important. In April, The Huffington Post found that roughly 55 percent of Americans had “either a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Islam.” Islamophobia shows little sign of decreasing in the United States, particularly in the aftermath of the San Bernardino shootings. By utilizing terms like “ISIS” and “ISIL,” we reinforce the notion that this group represents the Islamic faith—something that has been vehemently disputed.
As the media and government leaders take notice and begin to use “Daesh,” the public should follow suit. By distinguishing Daesh from the millions of peaceful practicing Muslims, we openly defy Daesh’s mission to ignite war between Islam and the West.
If that is not enough, there is the subtle-but-unmistakable jab at Daesh. Australia’s Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott aptly stated earlier this year, “Daesh hates being referred to by this term, and what they don’t like has an instinctive appeal to me.”
