Changing terminology does not change reality

Ministers in England have adopted a new lexicon when referring to Muslim activities and to Islam. Will the PC police in America do the same?

For example, in the future, Islamic fanatics in England will be referred to as pursuing "anti-Islamic activity". Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that extremists were behaving “contrary to their faith, rather than acting in the name of Islam”. Government officials believe that directly linking terrorism to Islam is inflammatory, and risks alienating mainstream Muslim opinion. Her words were chosen to reflect the new government strategy on labeling the terrorists and their recruiting agents.

The change in terminology follows a government decision last year to stop using the phrase "war on terror", such as was used by U.S. President Bush. Officials say they are concerned it could act as a recruiting tool for Al Qaeda, which is determined to “manufacture” a battle between the values of Islam and the West. The fact they regard al Qaeda as ‘manufacturing’ warfare against western civilization itself is mind boggling since these Muslims are dedicated to the task of destroying Israel, killing as many non Muslims as possible and taking over the world for Islam.

The strategy emerging across the British government is to portray terrorists as nothing more than cold-blooded murderers who are not fighting for any religious cause. Terrorism by Al Qaeda and their allies is instead being described by key British government figures as "more like a death cult" rather than the destructive Islamic force that it is.

Although the government is saying that no phrases have been "banned", senior government officials have made it clear that the terms "war on terror" and "Islamic extremism" will not be used again by people at the top of government or those involved in counterterrorism strategy. The Director of Public Prosecutions has also said phrases which liken London to a “battlefield" will no longer be used.

In her first major speech on radicalization, Smith repeatedly used the phrase "anti-Islamic". In one passage she said: "As so many Muslims in the UK and across the world have pointed out, there is nothing Islamic about the wish to terrorize, nothing Islamic about plotting murder, pain and grief. Indeed, if anything, these actions are anti-Islamic”.

One can only wonder in what world Smith is living if she fails to see that Islam and terror go hand-in-hand according to the Koran and all Muslims following Mohammad’s mystical revelations in the Arabian Desert are duty bound to obey.

All this is not to say British Homeland security is doing ‘nothing’ to deal with terrorism; no, not at all. You see, the government is indeed ’taking action’; unfortunately for the British people this action resembles the approach of Democrats in this country to use persuasion to rid the country of terror rather than more meaningful approaches like expelling or jailing treasonous preachers and terror recruiters.

Here is the plan to eliminate terror in the British homeland:

“Outdoor activity centers and sports facilities will be sent guidance to stop them being used as meeting places by fanatics after the July 7 bombers were photographed attending a white water rafting centre in Wales.

Mosques will be helped to root out extremism, with imams encouraged to learn English. Efforts will be made to improve the access of women to mosques and their management committees.

There will be new advice for universities on how to deal with extremism on campus, and a crackdown on extremist material in libraries and galleries.

A forum of head teachers will be set up to give advice on what more can be done to protect children and build bridges between communities.

Youngsters will be taught about all faiths in schools, and £2million will be spent "twinning" (?) schools of different faiths.

Funding will be boosted to allow more youngsters to carry out volunteer work overseas.”

The government also wants to hold more "road shows" of mainstream Islamic scholarship around the country; I guess to point out some Muslims study subjects other than jihad.

And finally, the Homeland Security chief adds: "Counter-terrorist policing is not just about the sharp end - the disruption of those who seek to attack us - crucial though that is, it must also be about stopping people becoming or supporting terrorists. We can't, after all, simply arrest our way out of this problem."

No Ms. Smith, counter-terrorism is not “just about the sharp end”, whatever that means, but it is not about just talking to Muslims either; it is about rooting out the cancer of terrorism, destroying it and taking all measures to prevent its return.