Don't call them jihadists any more. Say violent extremist or terrorist, instead.
And don't call Al-Qaida a movement -- it sounds so ... legitimate.
The Bush administration has launched a new front in the war on terrorism, this time targeting language.
Federal agencies are telling their people not to describe Islamic extremists as jihadists or mujahedeen, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.
The reason: Such words may boost support for radicals among Arab and Muslim audiences by giving them a veneer of religious credibility or by causing offense to moderates.
For example, while Americans may understand jihad to mean holy war, it is in fact a broader Islamic concept of the struggle to do good, says the memo prepared for diplomats and other officials tasked with communicating with the public. Similarly, mujahedeen, which means those engaged in jihad, must be seen in its broader context.
U.S. officials may be "unintentionally portraying terrorists, who lack moral and religious legitimacy, as brave fighters, legitimate soldiers or spokesmen for ordinary Muslims," a Homeland Security report says.
Language is critical in the war on terror, says another document, prepared at the National Counter Terrorism Center and approved for diplomatic use this week by the State Department.
