US clamps down on words of the anti-terror campaign

WASHINGTON: Do not call them jihadists any more. Also, do not call al-Qaida a movement. The Bush administration has launched a new front in the campaign against terrorism, this time targeting language. Federal agencies, including the State Department, the Homeland Security Department and the National Counterterrorism Center, are telling their people not to describe Islamic extremists as "jihadists" or "mujahedeen," according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Such verbiage as "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 offence 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 anti-terror campaign to the public. Similarly, "mujahedeen," which means those engaged in jihad, must be seen in its broader context.

US 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 is 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.