US: New front in the war on terrorism, this time targeting language

[Harold Schiffman]

'Jihadist' booted from government lexicon
By MATTHEW LEE – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Don't call them jihadists any more. And don't call
al-Qaida a movement. The Bush administration 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 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 tasked with explaining 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 entitled "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
entitled "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 Counter
Terrorism 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-Qaida 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 last 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.

It also draws heavily on the Homeland Security report that examined
the way American Muslims reacted to different phrases used by U.S.
officials to describe terrorists and recommended ways to improve the
message.

Because of religious connotations, that report, released in January
and obtained by AP this week, counseled "caution in using terms such
as, 'jihadist,' 'Islamic terrorist,' 'Islamist,' and 'holy warrior' as
grandiose descriptions."

"We should not concede the terrorists' claim that they are legitimate
adherents of Islam," the report said, adding that bin Laden and his
adherents fear "irrelevance" more than anything else.

"We must carefully avoid giving bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders
the legitimacy they crave, but do not possess, by characterizing them
as religious figures, or in terms that may make them seem to be noble
in the eyes of some," it said.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3X6Gha4z-MCq9pU0vC4FWqDCXrwD908CUGO0


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