Following the terror attack in Paris last Friday, French officials declared that they would stop using ISIS to refer to the terrorist group, and instead refer to the group as “Daesh.” A number of media outlets are now choosing to refer to the group as Daesh. However, the term is a serious offence to the Islamic State and ISIS threatening are less than happy.
The term is an acronym for the Arabic phrase al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), but is also associated with the Arabic words ‘Daes’ and ‘Dahes’ which translate “to trample down and crush” and to “a bigot who imposes his view on others.”
IISIS have threatened to “cut out the tongues” of anyone who uses the term. Many who are opposed to the terrorists now refuse to use the term ISIS claiming the name validates their existence as an organisation.