Barking and Dagenham councillors are urging other local authorities across the country to use the term ‘Daesh’ when referring to the Islamic State terror group.
A motion to “refer to this evil organisation as Daesh instead of Islamic State or ISIS/ISIL and call on councils across the country to officially use the term Daesh” was put forward by deputy leader Cllr Saima Ashraf and agreed by assembly on Wednesday night.
The word is an Arabic acronym derived from the phrase al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham, which translates to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
It is also similar to the Arabic words ‘Daes’ – one who crushes something underfoot – and ‘Dahes’ – one who sows discord.
“The organisation that refers to itself as ‘the Islamic State’ is not Islamic,” added Cllr Ashraf.
“Referring to this group as the Islamic State helps it to further legitimise its propaganda campaign which is enticing vulnerable people to travel to Syria to join the group.”
Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Government ministers would start using the term in December, six months after calling on the BBC to refer to the group as ‘Isil’.
Daesh is also used in several countries including Canada, France and Australia.
What do you think of the decision? Email your views to mark.shales@archant.co.uk or call 02084773824.
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