Jihad agianst use of jihad

NY Post Editorial:

Anyone heard Condoleezza Rice use the word "jihad" lately?

According to the Associated Press, the secretary of State hasn't publicly uttered that word, except when referring to the name of a specific group, for the past eight months.

And she isn't likely to start again anytime soon.

That's because the Bush administration has gone all PC in the War on Terror.

Under guidelines issued for all federal agencies by the Department of Homeland Security and based on "recommendations from American Muslims," terms like "jihad" and "mujahedeen" are now off-limits in referring to Islamist extremists - because they're said to boost support for terrorists among Muslims.

"Even if it is accurate to reference the term," according to the guidelines, "it may not be strategic, because it glamorizes terrorism [and] imbues [terrorists] with religious authority they do not have."

Other terms, like "Islamo-fascism," are also taboo, on grounds that they're "offensive to many Muslims."

Are they kidding?

As if Condi Rice letting slip the word "jihad" is going to rouse thousands of young Muslims who otherwise showed not the slightest interest to suddenly strap on explosives and start singing the praises of Osama bin Laden.

Besides, to pretend that jihadists - oops, the new preferred term, says Washington, is "violent extremists" - don't view themselves as religiously motivated simply is silly.

...

The jihadis are motivated by religious bigotry and the chances of them even listening to anything said in the west are remote. Most of the time I describe them as Islamic religious bigots. Their bigotry is not limited to non Muslims. At least half the people killed by jihadis are other Muslims. Jihad is supposed to be about a struggle, and now it has become a struggle about words.