ISIS, ISIL, Da’ish – what is the difference?

Over the past few weeks much controversy arose about what we call this terrorist group out of Iraq. Most recently, political and media quandary about what to call this group has brought much confusion to the general public. So is the group IS – meaning Islamic State, is it ISIS – Islamic State in Syria, or the name tagged most recently, especially in the US and Britain, ISIL – meaning Islamic State in the Levant? As many don’t even know what or where the Levant is, this name seems particularly incongruous.

But what then is Da’ish and why should this name be considered. It is simply the Arabic abbreviation for Islamic State and it is one which IS or ISIS detest. So why then should we cater to members of this terrorist organization and continue to show it an undeserved respect by referring to it as ISIS or IS, when in fact we have a small means of irritating these terrorists by not giving them due recognition and give it the acronym they despise Da’ish.

The Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed al Nahyan, gave his profound and dogmatic opinion that: “I would like to stress in this forum [the United Nations Security Council] as an Arab and Muslim...that I categorically reject that the terrorist organisation Da’ish — ISIS — should be described as ‘the Islamic State.’ He urged all parties to reject the use of this name, in line with the views of millions of Muslims who are firmly opposed to what he described as “the destruction being perpetuated by a terrorist and criminal gang”. (Khaleej Times, 21 September 2014).

Supporting this action of referring to the terrorist ‘gang’ as Da’ish rather than by a name they created and prefer IS or ISIS - should be taken up by the public and encouraged. It is a tactic, albeit a small means, to marginalize this group which shows no mercy, compassion, and has completely abrogated the tenets of humanity.