Much of the world is expressing their solidarity with France in the aftermath of last night’s vicious attacks. Yet many of us (including heads of state and news organizations) continue to refer to the group of terrorists who have claimed responsibility for these crimes as ISIS, ISIL or IS. These names grant a desired legitimacy to the group. Even when President Obama says, as he did last September, “ISIL is not ‘Islamic.’ ... And ISIL is certainly not a state. ... ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple,” he continues to use their preferred terminology.
The French government, in contrast, started using the name “Daesh” last year. This name was coined by Syrian activist Khaled al-Haj Salih back in 2013, and has become the term of choice for use of the organization’s enemies. Essentially, it is an acronym for the organization’s full Arabic name: al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham. In a way, it serves exactly the same function as the name ISIS/L, but Daesh is a new word that is one letter away from the Arabic word for a person who crushes or tramples. The shape of the word also bears resemblance to an older form of the Arabic language, and has an overtone of barbarity about it. (Arabic translator Alice Guthrie has a very detailed explanation of the word and its power.) The new name is infuriating to Daesh members, who have threatened to cut out the tongue of anyone who uses it.
The foreign minister of France, Laurent Fabius, asked journalists and heads of state to start using the name last year, saying, “This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims and Islamists. The Arabs call it ‘Daesh’ and I will be calling them the ‘Daesh cutthroats’.”
It may seem a small thing to just start using a different name for this enemy, but names have power. Imagine the impact if Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Martin O’Malley decided to start using the name Daesh tonight in the debate? What a powerful psychological blow that would be. Why not follow the example of your friends in France and #CallThemDaesh ?
