SPECTATOR: 'Daesh' Users 'Kidding Themselves' That ISIS Is 'Outside The Normal Islamic Mindset'

Writing in the Spectator as Members of the British Parliament debated military intervention in Syria, British columnist Rod Liddle turned his fire on users of the phrase “Daesh” instead of ISIS or Islamic State – a viewpoint long held by those of this parish.

Liddle writes, in a brief but pertinent blog on the Spectator website: “Much as it is the case that we might ignore any commentator who uses the world ‘vulnerable’, so too we can assure ourselves that anyone who uses the term ‘Daesh’ in respect of those head-chopping Muslim lunatics out in Syria, is terminally deluded and we can ignore them too.

“The term is now used exclusively by those who wish to kid themselves that the Islamic State is a rogue singularity, entirely outside the normal Islamic mindset, whatever that might be. And so they have made up a word to support this patently flawed thesis. When the facts don’t fit, make it up. Twist reality.”

Liddle’s comments come as Members of Parliament spent an inordinate amount of time deciding that they, along with British institutions like the BBC, should stop saying “Islamic State” or even the media sop “so called Islamic State” and instead use the phrase “Daesh” which although is believed to upset the hierarchy of the Islamic State, is a clear attempt to put distance between Islamic fundamentalism, political Islam, and terrorism.

Counter terror adviser and Liberal Democrat Maajid Nawaz has even hit back against “childish” and “bloody PC” change of terminology, stating:

“Non-Arabs telling people to say “Daesh”, instead of ISIS, is just weird & silly. Daesh is merely the *exact* Arabic equivalent to the English acronym ISIS / ISIL. And no, Daesh does not *mean* anything in Arabic. It’s merely the Arabic acronym. If the childish argument is: “but Daesh rhymes with XYZ, or sounds like so and so insult, they hate that, so let’s use it.” Well, ISIS is an Egyptian she-goddess, I know they hate her too (this would be the unforgivable sin of ‘shirk’, or idolatry)! So if I’m speaking Arabic, I’ll use “Daesh”. But if I’m speaking English, I’ll use ISIS (or the more technical ISIL), thanks. Let’s stop trying to be so bloody PC all the time! Sorry but I detest it when people don’t do shit about extremism, yet parade their rebel credentials in my face by saying DA’ESH at me, in an Arabic accent. And they don’t even speak Arabic.”