Da’ish not ISIS

Da’ish not ISIS

            When the Arab world leaders refer to this terrorist group as Da’ish what right do we in the West have to correct these men and women. They refer to Da’ish because to recognize it as ISIS is to give credence to the group as a legitimate Islamic State, which we recognize is not so. The other evening on BBC America the presenter Katty Kay had the audacity to correct her guest, an Iraqi minister whose purpose was to discuss Da’ish. In so doing, he referred to them as Da’ish, and the presenter immediately corrected him, saying “you mean ISIS.” From that point on, placed in the uncomfortable position of naming the group ISIS, he continued his interview. But obvious to every listener, he did not like the necessity of referring to the group with that acronym.

            When the Foreign Minister for the United Arab Emirates stood in front of the UN Security Council and specifically stated that the group is not ISIS and Muslim nations refused to give the terrorists any credence. He also pleaded with the world nations to do the same, but in our stubbornness to hang on to our own vocabulary, still refuse to do so. We send money and arms and make treaties with the Muslim countries attacking Da’ish, but we cannot bring ourselves to accept their superior understanding of the language and how it affects this terrorist group.

Calling them ISIS gives them an acknowledged Islamic identity, which other Arab nations cannot do. Da’ish on the other hand is an Arabic abbreviation which denigrates the terrorists to what they really are, illegal and illegitimate terrorists. In the past several months I have only heard two American foreign service individuals refer to them as Da’ish. In the UK and some American politicians still cling to the acronym ISIL, which is another Western made up acronym.

One way to defeat this group, outside of military intervention, is to unrecognized them, do not credit them as Muslims. I just returned from Egypt, and Egyptians, when asked, from taxi drivers to shopkeepers, and others, detest ISIS and its terrorist activities. Ordinary people revile the idea that these people kill in the name of their religion, bringing Islam down with them. Whether liberal or conservative, the majority of Muslims do not want to be associated with this group or other terrorist activities which use the name of their faith to kill, maim, and destroy. Let the West and in particular the media make the change and likewise refuse to give this group any recognition except what they detest, not ISIS, but Da’ish.

Perceptions

            HBO produces a programme called Vice which purports to reveal disturbing practices in various parts of the world. Last week they presented a show on Egypt and its antiquities. It appeared that this particular episode meant to expose the robbing of Egypt’s antiquities from various parts of the country inclusive of Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, grave digging in Luxor and Saqqara, among other temples which line the Nile River.

            The presenter brought in the former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, a man around whom whispers of corruption and stealing from the Egyptian Museum led to his departure from the Ministry shortly after the 25 January Revolution. Footage from one scene of rioting during the four-year old revolution was shown to demonstrate an objective of the show that violence and corruption continues in Egypt. They even managed to “find” and get confessions from two completely covered grave robbers and how they dug right in the middle of Luxor, one of the most heavily guarded places for antiquities.

            Having just returned from Egypt after a lengthy stay, stealing the country’s antiquities is the least of its problems. On the surface, nothing seems unchanged by much except the new president General Sisi, but Egyptian’s are beset by economic difficulties of unemployment, rising costs of food, petrol, housing, and virtually all other commodities. But the manner in which Vice presented stealing of antiquities, anyone unfamiliar with the country would believe theft of antiquities was running rampant throughout. In fact, examined carefully, the one very valuable cat god statue which they traced to an auction sale seems bizarre. How could thieves actually dig in Luxor, so carefully policed, where they claimed to have found the piece?

            What this show actually did was to exhibit a country struggling to survive and rise above revolution and change into a sordid hotbed of corruption and decay sitting on the brink of disaster instead of a land that is hoping for positive change. A real problem with programmes such as Vice is that most of the viewing public, non-Egyptians, believe what they see, have no background, and the show deliberately misleads its viewers.

            So it should be caveat emptor – buyer beware – before believing what is shown on programmes such as Vice when their prime objective appears to be sensationalizing unfortunate situations amid a people working to raise themselves above despair.

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