France Abandons the ‘Islamic State’ Name — and Starts Calling the Terror Group Something That They Hate
France appears to have abandoned the term “Islamic State” to describe the terror group wreaking havoc across the Middle East and replaced it with a name the militants apparently hate.
French President Francois Hollande waits for his official host at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on September 19, 2014. Earlier today, Hollande made a statement on France’s first air strike in Iraq. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images)
As the Washington Post noted, this week France nixed “Islamic State” in an official government release and replaced it with the term ”Daesh.”
“This is a terrorist group and not a state,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said last week, according to France 24. “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.’ ”
The name “Daesh,” however, is one the militants apparently hate.
According to an Associated Press report, militants have threatened to cut out the tongue of anyone who uses the name, saying it shows disrespect and defiance.
Multiple reports, noted by the Post, indicate militants may dislike the term because it has been used in a derogatory fashion in parts of the Middle East.
Pro-Islam groups have encouraged media outlets to stop using the “Islamic State,” insisting the group is not Islamic. President Barack Obama echoed that earlier this month in a primetime address to the nation.
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