DoD Scholars Advise Politicians To Watch Their Language

According to experts at the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, DC, "American leaders misuse language to such a degree that they unintentionally wind up promoting the ideology of the groups the United States is fighting." (tip)

For example, when a politician characterizes an Islamic extremist or insurgent as a jihadist, he has told other Muslims that he has legitimized the action and "recognize(s) their doctrines and actions as being in the path of God." That's because in Arabic, jihad "literally means striving and generally occurs as part of the expression jihad fi sabil illah, striving in the path of God."

The experts -- Dr. Douglas E. Streusand and Army Lt. Col. Harry D. Tunnell IV -- write, "We cannot win wide-spread support throughout the Muslim world if we use terms that, to them, define the behavior of our enemies as moral." (pdf)

In their short essay, they offer some counter-measures. For example, "We should describe the Islamic totalitarian movement as the global hirabah" because it means "warfare contrary to Islamic law."