There is no doubt on how 9/11 changed our lives. Forever. And if we just take a moment to stop and think about it, we realize how the vocabulary that runs around this devastating event has assailed our media and our own existences.
Before 9/11 probably only a few thousands of people in the whole world knew what al-Qaeda, Jihad, Mujahideen, just to name a few, meant. After 9/11 everyone got to know. We all got used to finding those “strange” words on newspapers, we got used to listen to them on tv shows and movies. We became familiar with them. And right when we thought we had it all clear, things got really messed up.
Middle-East actual political situation has led to an hysterical need of defining those different militants who are killing civilians, forcing captured women into sexual slavery, and beheading foreigners in Iraq and Syria. We have heard of Isis; then it came Isil, and then we were told about Is. And now they changed it all, once again. French officials recently declared that that country would stop using any of those names and instead refer to these groups of militants as “Daesh.”
The term “Daesh” is strategically a better choice because it is still accurate in that it spells out the acronym of the group’s full Arabic name, al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham. Yet, at the same time, “Daesh” can also be understood as a play on words — and an insult. Depending on how it is conjugated in Arabic, it can mean anything from “to trample down and crush” to “a bigot who imposes his view on others.” Which ever theory suits best, it is quite clear that the acronym DAESH (داعش) is mostly, if not only, used by opponents of ISIS in Syria. Indeed, the group has reportedly threatened to cut out the tongues of anyone who uses the term. Why? Because Daesh counts 30.000 to 50.000 fighters, so it is relatively a small group. You can easily understand how propaganda plays such an important role in its growth strategy. By using the militants’ favorite names the US governement legitimate them, in a certain way. Perhaps, referring to the group as Daesh doesn’t just withhold validity. It also might give a little help in crafting better policies.
So here’s the thing. Even when it comes to war, language does matter.
By Sabina Grixoni
Editor and Social Media Strategist
Communication Trainee at TermCoord