Daesh or ISIS?

THERE have been a number of different names used to describe the terrorists who have invaded parts of Iraq and Syria many of which are unprintable but in order to assist our readers to identify the group in question, we have stuck to the word ISIS.

In the opening statement in the House of Commons by David Cameron on December 2 he said: “I feel it is time to join our key ally France, the Arab League, and other members of the international community in using as frequently as possible the terminology Daesh rather than Isil. Because frankly this evil death cult is neither a true representation of Islam nor is it a state.”

He then added later in the speech “These women-raping, Muslim-murdering, mediaeval monsters – are hijacking the peaceful religion of Islam for their warped ends.”

The name Daesh is used by both President Obama and President Hollande although they pronounce it differently and we at Euro Weekly News now feel that the time is right for us change as well to use the word that everyone will come to recognise over the coming months.

Ironically, the word is an Arabic acronym derived from the phrase ‘al Dawlah al-Islameyah fi Iraq wal-Sham’ or literally, ‘Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (which refers to Syria or the Levant State)’. It actually means ISIS or Isil  but because it is a short word, some parties in the Arab world have taken it to be intended as an insult as it is a shortened form.

If by using the word Daesh we insult any of its adherents, then we have no problem with that at all.