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Jan 17

Written by: Diana West
Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:50 PM 

All I can say about the story below is that it is not a joke. I mean, it IS a joke--only it's not meant to be a joke. So who gets the last laugh? Not us, I'm afraid.

From the Daily Mail:

Government renames Islamic terrorism as 'anti-Islamic activity' to woo Muslims

By JAMES SLACK - Last updated at 22:16pm on 17th January 2008

Ministers have adopted a new language for declarations on Islamic terrorism.

In future, fanatics 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.

Security officials believe that directly linking terrorism to Islam is inflammatory, and risks alienating mainstream Muslim opinion.

In her first major speech on radicalisation, Miss 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 terrorise, nothing Islamic about plotting murder, pain and grief.

 "Indeed, if anything, these actions are anti-Islamic'.

Another section referred to enlisting the Muslim community against "anti-Islamic activity".

Her words were chosen to reflect new Government strategy on labelling the terrorists and their recruiting agents.


The shift follows a decision taken last year to stop using the phrase "war on terror", first adopted by U.S. President Bush.

Officials were 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 strategy emerging across Government is to portray terrorists as nothing more than cold-blooded murderers who are not fighting for any religious cause.

 Al Qaeda inspired terrorism is instead being described by key figures as "more like a death cult".

 Last night the Home Office stressed that no phrases have been "banned".

But senior Whitehall sources have made it clear that the "war on terror" and "Islamic extremism" will not be used again by people at the top of Government or those involved in counterterrorism strategy.

 Jacqui Smith: New language

Sir Ken Macdonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has also said phrases which liken London to a " battlefield" will no longer be used.

...

In her speech, Miss Smith said extremists who use the internet to radicalise young children would be pursued in the same way as paedophiles.

She will meet members of the online industry in the next few weeks to decide how to crack down on Al Qaeda inspired sites. ...

I can hear undercover investigators infiltrating suspect chatrooms now: So, are you into anti-Islamic activity?


Who needs the cavalry when you've got Jacqui (with an "i") Smith?

 

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