ZenPundit
Thursday, October 05, 2006
 
REDEFINING THE GLOBAL ISLAMIST HIRABAH

A very short, but interesting cultural intelligence paper on message strategy:

"Choosing Words Carefully:Language to Help Fight Islamic Terrorism" by Dr. Douglas E. Streusand and LTC Harry D. Tunnell IV

In essence, the authors argue that the U.S. government is so out of touch with the Arab-Muslim world that U.S. officials and pundits end up using words to criticize Islamist terrorists that actually have very positive connotations for Muslim audiences. Thus, in a stroke, managing to make the Islamist propaganda case for the terrorists while offending moderate Muslims. The authors make the following recommendations:

DON'T SAY:

Jihad/Jihadi " Striving for the Path of God"

Mujahid/Mujahideen " Holy Warrior"

Caliphate " Succesor of the Prophet"

Allah " God"

INSTEAD USE:

Hirabah "Sinful warfare, warfare contrary to Islamic Law"

Mufsid/ Mufsidun " Evil or Corrupt person" or Fattan " Tempter or subversive"

Totalitarian

God

As I am neither an Arabist nor a linguist by training, I'd like to hear what those who are think about this argument by Streusand and Tunnell.

Hat Tip to the excellent Small Wars Journal Reference Library.
 
Comments:
The latter terms, of course, torpedo our efforts to declare calling another Muslim a false Muslim as non-Islamic. But then, asking coherency from public diplomacy is asking a bit much anyway.
 
As I understand it hirabah is to irhabi as jihad is to jihadi. Another good word to add to the list.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm mistaken.
 
That's odd. They changed what I had in italics. What I wrote was 'hirabah' is to 'irhabi' as 'jihad' is to 'jihadi'.
 
Mark,

Thanks for the comment on the Reference Library - we should be adding a "rack and stack search" feature soon to aid in research and navigation.

I used to have long conversations with Jim Guirard about the issue of choosing our words carefully. Jim started the TrueSpeak Institute and is cited in the article you posted here. Guirard does not maintain a web presence but has posted his e-mail in the public domain - justcauses@aol.com if anyone is interested in talking to someone who has made this issue a "life mission."

Best,

Dave
 
Well, the thinking or general conceptualisation behind the article is correct, insofar as ceding linguistic territory to one's opponent can often wrong-foot you from the start.

I find some of their argumentation unrealistic, although the point re Allah and God is well taken (and for once on an issue deriving from Pipes, I agree that it is sometimes used by Muslim parties to exagerate and excentuate difference).

However, Dan of the strange garbled letters gets it wrong re the takfir issue. The implicit criticism in using a term like Hirabah [which is not the same root as Irhab, note HRB versus RHB] is not the same as declaring Takfir (which is a nasty thing). Mufsid is silly in my opinion as most of the neo-Salafiste types are hardly corrupt - evil isn't something I like to sling around for secular purposes myself.

In short, I think the authors have a decent point although some of the suggestions seem to precious.

Regarding "totalitarian" - eh, I don't know this is accurate, but at least it is least analytical stupid than "Islamofascist" an ugly and inaccurate term reeking of old Left abuse of the word fascist.
 
Hi Dan,

I've never agreed with that position. While we shouldn't get involved in splitting hairs on obscure points of the Haditha, if there's clear-cut hypocrisy going on, call the Islamist radicals on it - that non-Muslims are doing it should only add to the impact.

hi Dave ( Schuler)

Thanks ! Col disagreed but I have nothing sensible contribute on this point.

hi Dave ( Dilegge)

I'm starting to read my way through SWRL -availing myself of the ultrahigh speed laser printer at work ( There's a sharp limit to what I want to read online - reading off a computer scree is also, I suspect, less reflective than with physical text)

Thanks - I may have to contact Jim some time. Much appreciated !

Hi Col-

Happy Ramadan BTW ( if that is an aceptable salutation)

There's a significant spectrum, politically speaking, among Islamists for whom " totalitarian" won't work, I agree. Some are even more democratically-minded than are some allied governments, much to our discomfort.

Though OTOH, there are some entirely nasty and unhinged dreamer extremists for whom it works fine. We need to be splitting this community internally, not reinforcing group solidarity.
 
Indeed Happy Ramadan is among the salutations used. Blessed Ramadan as well, but it sounds silly translated into English.

Trivia aside, to the substance.

Re Totalitarian, I am uncomfortable with the term as I have the sensation that Westerners are being stupid trying to shoehorn everything into the experience of the 1930s.

However, I suppose it could be used well, and as I said, works better than "Fascist" which simply reeks of the idiocy of the old hard Left and their slinging about the term idiotically.
There's a significant spectrum, politically speaking, among Islamists for whom " totalitarian" won't work, I agree. Some are even more democratically-minded than are some allied governments, much to our discomfort.

I see the Islamists as a force that so long as they are willing to play fair, should be in the political game. For them not to be merely supports the radicals and makes the radicals arguments look true or truer.

Though OTOH, there are some entirely nasty and unhinged dreamer extremists for whom it works fine. We need to be splitting this community internally, not reinforcing group solidarity.

PRECISELY

And that is what the unhinged Islamophobic ranters do not understand. They may be offended by "Islam is the religion of Peace" rot (as if any religion is...), but that's not the point, in the end. Splitting off the dangerous nihilistic radicals so that they are isolated is or should be the object. That only works if the argument of the radicals that all of Islam is under attack doesn't get more or less direct support from the "Little Green Football" crowd (or more reasonably, if their rhetoric is not marginalised).
 
If the manner in which a particular word is being used is offensive to most Muslims, then by all means change it. However, at what point do you change the message entirely. Let's take the example of "totalitarian vs. Caliphate." So totalitarian is bad but Caliphate is what? Good, bad, indifferent? To pick up on Louny's point, if there is a non-violent group that desires a new Caliphate, our response is what? My point is I'm not sure you want to shift the focus away from totalitarian to Caliphate; although I recognize that others might think a Caliphate is a good thing. Another example would be "jihadi." So the jihadists certainly consider themselves to be such, we consider them to be such, but we are to label them otherwise so that other Muslims see either us or the "jihadists" differently. Ultimately I think you are simply feeding into the state of denial that all too many Muslims are in; i.e. the crimes committed by the "jihadists" by definition means that they have nothing to do with religion.
Lastly I think it is a little arrogant on our part to think anyone cares what our definition is.

Barnabus
 
Offending I don't believe is the point re Caliphate - rather managing where your opposition is focused. Opposing Islamic unity sounds bad.

Opposing murderous totalitarians sounds better.

I personally don't like totalitarian very much on an analytical basis, but that's mere quibbling.

Ultimately I think you are simply feeding into the state of denial that all too many Muslims are in; i.e. the crimes committed by the "jihadists" by definition means that they have nothing to do with religion.

This statement makes no sense.

If I read it correctly, you miss the entire point.

Language can often frame perception. Of course merely changing terms may not change attitudes (as the Left in the West has found), but changing terms on a basis that has 'native echo' can have an influence.

Jihad does not have a negative connotation in Islamic discourse, and it never will. It has the sense of justice - whether in its core meaning of effort or its meaning of 'holy war' or in some ways better, 'just war.'

It's a loser to try to stigmatise "jihadis.' (And why bother with the term if you are merely engaging in navel gazing self-pleasuring rhetoric) It is not a loser to stigmatise 'misuse' of Jihad.

That is the point the article was aiming at. Shaping your rhetoric to the audience.

Lastly I think it is a little arrogant on our part to think anyone cares what our definition is.

Indeed, it is.

However terminology leakage happens. Islamist leaked back into Arabic. If one thinks one can control the definitions, then one is a fool. However, adopting critical langauge that goes with internal critical language, well one at least has an option on influencing. It may not work, but worth the effort given low-cost and rather than merely reinforcing a line of discourse disadvantageous to you, one has the potential of influencing for the positive.

Potential of course is not fact. Adopting a measured rhetoric may achieve nothing, however it is potentially worth the very low-cost effort.
 
"Lastly I think it is a little arrogant on our part to think anyone cares what our definition is."

You would think Barnabus, but valid and accurate criticism has a way of sticking, if repeated often enough, regardless of the source. It can sting.

To dredge up ancient history, the Byzantines were so flustered by Muslim criticism of Greco-Christian "idolatry" that the iconoclasm movement was launched, which had a debilitating and divisve effect on the empire.

"However terminology leakage happens. Islamist leaked back into Arabic. If one thinks one can control the definitions, then one is a fool. However, adopting critical langauge that goes with internal critical language, well one at least has an option on influencing. It may not work, but worth the effort given low-cost and rather than merely reinforcing a line of discourse disadvantageous to you, one has the potential of influencing for the positive.

I was not aware that was the case re; Islamism. Good.

Col hits it on the head.

Unfortunately our IO and public diplomacy folks have yet to grasp this point. Well, I'm sure some do but not nearly enough for these bureaucracies to be " on message".
 
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