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Change public references from "ISIS" and "ISIL" to "Daesh." Words matter.

Created by M.O. on November 16, 2015

We believe words matter in the war against the extremist terrorists in Syria and Iraq. "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.'" (quote from Boston Globe)

Please discontinue use of "ISIS" and "ISIL" (as they confer there is now such an Islamic state), and use 'Daesh' in all official communications to the public.

Homeland Security & Defense
Foreign Policy
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