sterbo

Some of us continue to raise the specter of our Government gone wild when it comes to continuing abuse and downright thievery of our most basic constitutional rights.
We've been touching upon this subject in dedbr's interesting Thread, "Freedom of Religion In Texas: The Poygamy Compound Raid" in the Religion Forum.

It seems that this current Administration is hell bent on destroying the very fabric forming the basis of governance of this great country and to my way of thinking, the directive below is yet another insidious broadside in that endeavor...


Some speech aids extremists, insults Muslims, report says

Don't call them jihadists any more.

And don't call al Qaeda a movement.

The Bush administration has opened 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 offense to moderates.

For example, while Americans may understand jihad to mean holy war, it is in fact a broader Islamic concept of the struggle to do good, says the guidance prepared for diplomats and other officials who explain the war on terror to the public. Similarly, mujahedeen, which means those engaged in jihad, must be seen in its broader context.

U.S. officials may be "unintentionally portraying terrorists, who lack moral and religious legitimacy, as brave fighters, legitimate soldiers or spokesmen for ordinary Muslims," says a Homeland Security report. It's titled "Terminology to Define the Terrorists: Recommendations from American Muslims."

"Regarding 'jihad,' even if it is accurate to reference the term, it may not be strategic because it glamorizes terrorism, imbues terrorists with religious authority they do not have and damages relations with Muslims around the world," the report says.

Language is critical in the war on terror, says another document, an internal "official use only" memorandum circulating through Washington titled "Words that Work and Words that Don't: A Guide for Counterterrorism Communication."

The memo, originally prepared in March by the Extremist Messaging Branch at the National Counterterrorism Center, was approved for diplomatic use this week by the State Department, which plans to distribute a version to all U.S. embassies, officials said.

"It's not what you say but what they hear," the memo says in bold italic lettering, listing 14 points about how to better present the war on terrorism.

"Don't take the bait," it says, urging officials not to react when Osama bin Laden or al Qaeda affiliates speak. "We should offer only minimal, if any, response to their messages. When we respond loudly, we raise their prestige in the Muslim world."

"Don't compromise our credibility" by using words and phrases that may ascribe benign motives to terrorists.

Some other specifics:

-- "Never use the terms 'jihadist' or 'mujahedeen' in conversation to describe the terrorists. ... Calling our enemies 'jihadis' and their movement a global 'jihad' unintentionally legitimizes their actions."

-- "Use the terms 'violent extremist' or 'terrorist.' Both are widely understood terms that define our enemies appropriately and simultaneously deny them any level of legitimacy."

-- On the other hand, avoid ill-defined and offensive terminology: "We are communicating with, not confronting, our audiences. Don't insult or confuse them with pejorative terms such as 'Islamo-fascism,' which are considered offensive by many Muslims."

The memo says the advice is not binding and does not apply to official policy papers but should be used as a guide for conversations with Muslims and media.

At least at the top level, it appears to have made an impact. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who once frequently referred to jihad in her public remarks, does not appear to have used the word, except when talking about the name of a specific terrorist group, since September.

The memo mirrors advice distributed to British and European Union diplomats last year to better explain the war on terrorism to Muslim communities there.
Jihad do's & don'ts

Guidelines from the National Counterterrorism Center on using terms involving Islam:
-- Don't use the term jihadist, which has broader religious meanings beyond war, or mujahedeen, which refers to holy warriors.
-- Do say violent extremist or terrorist.
-- Don't use the term "al Qaeda movement," because this makes al Qaeda seem like a legitimate political movement.
-- Don't use "Islamo-fascism" and other terms that could cause religious offense.
-- Do use the term "totalitarian."
-- Don't label groups simply as "Muslim."
-- Do use descriptive terms to define how a group fits into society. For example: South Asian youth and Arab opinion leaders.
-- Don't use "caliphate" when explaining al Qaeda's goals, as this has positive implications.
-- Don't use "salafi," "Wahhabist," "sufi," "ummah" and other words from Islamic theology unless you are able to discuss their varied meanings. Particularly avoid using "ummah" to mean the Muslim world, as it is a theological term.


Associated Press

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Vicki

First they question our rights, then they tell us what we can and cannot say?

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Those that forget the past are condemned to re-live it.
"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures
from the shelter of compassion and pity,
you have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man."
~ St. Francis of Assisi ~

sterbo

Yep, and mark my words.
This will likely get a sound bite or two, most likely between Sports and Britney's latest meltdown, and then will fade into oblivion.
That same oblivion where our Constitutional Rights are quickly heading...

Freedom_User

Hmmm... Other Countries don't like us because we are free, and also don't like us for our rights. Let's take away freedom of speech and everyone will love us! Good idea Government.

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The feds continually use and twist this simple clause as an excuse to expand their own power - at the expense of our liberty.

"If you shot a ton of pot to the Sun, will it burn up and get everyone high?"

Vicki

I posted this in the "what are you listening to now" thread, but I think it's an appropriate song for this thread, and the lyrics are provided too! Or, maybe the second song...

Andrew87

To be honest, I don't understand why this is such a big deal. It isn't as if there is actual legislation against using these words, it seems they are just pointing out "it might be a bad idea to say this, because of an apparently obscure double-entendre between cultures."

If they had said 'You CAN'T say x, y, or z' - then I'd object, but that doesn't seem like the case here.

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The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants. -- Albert Camus

Hashishi

Actually, this is a great idea. Stop officials from pissing off Muslims by preventing them from using inaccurate and oftentimes downright offensive nomenclature? Where was this seven years ago?

I've heard it's down to the militarisation of the Middle East (long before the Iraq invasion) and Western collusion with Israel. The whole 'they hate you because you're free thing' jars with me as being a little too story-book.

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Freedom_User

Yeah, well I agree. I went backpacking through Europe(Went to Amsterdam) for a couple of months by myself. I had bought a little American flag that I could attach to my pack. I noticed that I was getting treated way worse than other people. So, I put a Canadian flag on my pack. Went to the same place later that month. I assume they forgot who I was, but they were much friendlier. People hate America for many reasons, sorry for pinning a little one on freedom of speech.

Hashishi

I'd get treated much the same if I wore a British flag. They call us 'inselaffen' or 'island apes' in Germany.

One other tip is to use the native tongue as much as you can- especially for the most basic of things (i.e. greeting people and buying stuff). It's nothing short of condescending to constantly expect people to use English, even if it is the lingua franca. ...But I'm veering off topic.

Freedom_User

I am thinking that these words are modern day racial slurs...

It's a remix. But it's still talking about why we all should be friends. Very appropriate for my peeps in the Middle East.