Don’t call them a State, call them Daesh

WE have become familiar with the names ISIS – an abbreviation for “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,” the shorter IS, or Islamic State, and occasionally ISIL, which stands for “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” to describe the murderous terrorist organization that has seized territory in Iraq and war-torn Syria, and spread its hateful tentacles to distant places like Yemen, Afghanistan, North and Central Africa, and possibly even here in Southeast Asia.

Ever since the shocking attacks in Paris on October 13, however, another name for the group has been heard more often – “Daesh.” French President Francois Hollande referred to Daesh in his statements swearing vengeance for the appalling carnage the ISIS “death cult” inflicted in the City of Lights, and US Secretary of State John Kerry has also used the name in his public statements. Politicians and news media from the Arab world have been using the term since the very first appearance of IS in late 2013.