Words matter in ‘ISIS’ war, so use ‘Daesh’

[applegrove]

Words matter in ‘ISIS’ war, so use ‘Daesh’

By Zeba Khan at the Boston Globe

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/10/09/words-matter-isis-war-use-daesh/V85GYEuasEEJgrUun0dMUP/story.html

"SNIP.............


Whether referred to as ISIS, ISIL, or IS, all three names reflect aspirations that the United States and its allies unequivocally reject. Political and religious leaders all over the world have noted this. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said, “This is a terrorist group and not a state. . . the term Islamic State blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims, and Islamists.” President Obama made similar remarks saying, “ISIL is not Islamic . . . and [is] certainly not a state.”

Muslim scholars around the world have denounced the group’s attempt to declare a caliphate. Egyptian Islamic theologian Yusuf al-Qaradawi published an open letter to Muslim scholars explaining, “A group simply announcing a caliphate is not enough to establish a caliphate.” The Syrian Sufi leader Muhammad al-Yacoubi called the group’s declaration “illegitimate” and that supporting it was “haram,” or forbidden.

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.” Already, the group has reportedly threatened to cut out the tongues of anyone who uses the term.

Why do they care so much? The same reason the United States should. Language matters.



..............SNIP"

[leveymg]

1. Call it what it is. It's a Saudi militia that's taken over Shi'ia territory.

Al-Qaeda v2.0. We invaded the wrong country after 9/11.

[TheBlackAdder]

39. That change seems petty, like how GWB called Sadam Hussein with long first a, short second one.

.


It was something how the way GWB said it meant a derogatory term in Iraq.


It didn't change anything, just made GWB sound even more ignorant.


.

[snot]

41. thank you.

"Hatred never ceases by hatred;
But by love alone is healed.
This is an ancient and eternal law."

-- "Dhammapada," Ch. 1, the Twin Verses 5, as quoted by Maha Ghosananda

[El Supremo]

2. naäam

But how do you pronounce it in Arabic?

[uppityperson]

28. Well...

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/douche

[ejbr]

42. !!

[cigsandcoffee]

3. How about "The JV Team?" If they don't like "Daesh," they'll really hate that. n/t

[DonCoquixote]

4. btw

how do you pronounce it? Is it Die-ish? Dish? Dash? Not trying to be snarky, but I do want to know.

[applegrove]

5. Isn't it Da-ish? I'm bad with language.

[BlueMTexpat]

10. Hollande pronounces it

"Dah-esh" in his speeches.

I try to use that term as much as possible, in part because it infuriates the group.

[spiderpig]

20. Me too

Dah-esh Dah-esh Dah-esDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-eshDah-esh

[underahedgerow]

30. Yeah because they all come to DU to spy on infidels.

That works!

[BlueMTexpat]

33. LOL - I'm taking that as a joke.

it you meant it as a sneer, I'll overlook it.

Once.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Here's one take on it (I was wondering the same thing):

[Jim Beard]

8. I am like you but I think

it is pronounced Dash.

[lame54]

9. I think it's Douche...

or it should be

[47of74]

25. I'm down with that.

[Dem2]

37. There it is

That was my thought.

[MynameisBlarney]

34. I'm goin with douche.

I know it's wrong, but to hell with them.

[AllyCat]

35. Sweet!

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

36. Day-sh

[rollin74]

7. been calling them daesh bags for a long time

#daeshbags
https://twitter.com/hashtag/daeshbags

[hobbit709]

11. Asshole fanatics covers it in my book.

[Tipperary]

16. I am 100 percent with you on this one.

[sulphurdunn]

12. Isis was also an ancient Egyptian

goddess. A bit of irony there methinks.

[B2G]

13. Yeah! Let's start calling them a name they don't like.

And maybe turn it into a hastag.

That'll show them!

[philosslayer]

14. Actually, the current name(s)...

ISIS and/or ISIL are defamatory to peace loving Muslims. It provides a link through the word "Islamic" that shouldn't be there. So Daesh is certainly more appropriate.

[B2G]

15. And the Westboro Baptist Church calling themselves that

is defamatory to peace loving Baptists and Christians, but I don't see multiple threads to call them anything else.

[ShrimpPoboy]

17. If they were beheading people

and mounting violent international attacks, you might.

My .02: i like that our leaders are using "daesh" because it apparently offends them, but what we as individuals call it on a message board or in real life seems pretty irrelevant. I'll probably keep saying ISIS out if habit.

[hedgehog]

18. I like the idea - it's trivial but every little bit of contempt adds up.

[Jim Beard]

19. Web help on pronunciation

How To Pronounce Daesh

Added comment: after visiting I am going to go with Dash.

[LiberalLovinLug]

21. still waiting for a significant call-out by world Muslim religious leaders

It is they that should be using this word. That would really sting. I'm sure they wouldn't be too concerned about Westerners calling them anything, and would be amused at some western message board that can't even figure out how to say it.

[Angry Dragon]

22. I heard this on the news today

[klook]

23. I say we call them "Baby Face"

[shadowmayor]

24. Or

Al qaeda 3.0 which is what they really are. There's the original al qaeda, the al qaeda in Iraq (2.0) and the new upgrade 3.0.

[ericson00]

26. We didn't call Nazi Germany "Großdeutsches Reich." We called them Nazi Germany.

We should not use the enemy's language to describe them. It is ISIS: The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

[applegrove]

27. ISIS hates being called Daesh. It means to trample down others.

Daesh is an acronym that is insulting to them. That is why we should use it.

[Jinx]

29. I didn't know the origin of the word

Just that Kerry and others have used it lately. Thanks for the information!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

31. How hard is it to put up a post-it as a reminder?

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

32. What should we call that ?

They have no country,no face,no flag and no religion.

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.” Already, the group has reportedly threatened to cut out the tongues of anyone who uses the term.

It seems "Daesh" is fitting ,on one hand it is a false front and on the other it simply is what it is.

[GoneOffShore]

38. Here's a kick and a rec.

When I heard about Kerry and Hollande's use of daesh for the criminals who call themselves ISIL, I was impressed. They know yet another way to push these gangsters buttons.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

40. The Associated Press Stylebook is not on board with that usage yet.

When in doubt, I rely on the Associated Press Stylebook. The AP isn't ready to make the change yet, but you know how that works. Next week, they might say, "okay, we've decided to accept 'Daesh.'"

Ask the Editor

Q. French President Francois Hollande calls the terrorists responsible for the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris "Daesh," and there is apparently some talk of using this Arabic acronym instead of "Islamic State" or ISIS. The general argument appears to be that calling the group a "state" is legitimizing their claim. Is AP Stylebook considering a change to its style over ISIS/Daesh? – from Tokyo on Wed, Nov 18, 2015

A. That acronym has been used in AP stories only in direct quotes. The Stylebook recommends Islamic State group because it isn't given international recognition.

[love_katz]

43. kick and rec

[Lee-Lee]

44. Ahh yes. The middle school strategy of hurt their feelings should cripple then in no time

Let's get real- changing the name we call them accomplishes zero aside from making some people think they have done something when they haven't don't anything.

It won't do squat in the fight against them. But if it makes you feel better than go ahead.

[applegrove]

45. If it stops a few youth from signing up because Daesh can be taken as 'to trample', which fights

against the notion that ISIS is fighting a holy war, what is wrong with that?

[Yorktown]

46. Words matter: ISIS = I'm a Stupid, Insane Savage

Like it?

[SickOfTheOnePct]

47. Thanks, but no

ISIS or ISIL works just fine for me.

[Generic Brad]

48. They are gang members - nothing more

Two bit sexually repressed punks who have resorted to violence because their loser ideas have been rejected world wide.

[stuarttman63]

49. Here are the two main reasons we should refer to them as DAESH.

I've noticed that the republicans refer to them as ISIS or ISIL or the Islamic State because it fits in with their narrative that we are at war with Islam itself. This of course dove-tails really nicely with DAESH's corresponding narrative that they are at war with the West and with Judeo-Christianity itself. We should call them DAESH not because it angers them or hurts their feelings but because it refutes the idea that they represent Islam. We should also call them DAESH because it refutes the corresponding idea that the republicans represent Judeo-Christian values and the values of Western Democracy.