Bye, Bye, 'Jihad'
May 9, 2006; Page A18

Let no one say the European Union is soft on the war on terror. Its latest weapon is a "non-emotive lexicon . . . to avoid linking Islam and terrorism." Impossible, you say? Well, if anyone can talk about the slaughter of innocents without emotion while obscuring the killers' motives, it would be the sages in Brussels.

The idea of drawing up politically correct guidelines for official EU parlance as part of the counter-terrorism strategy was endorsed by member governments in December. A work still in progress, the lexicon will likely be presented next month for ministerial approval.

And so, "Islamic terrorists" could soon become "those who have an abusive interpretation of Islam," European Commission spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing told us. The word "jihad" might be banned too. That's because it "can also mean the internal struggle to become a better man," the spokesman explained. We're fairly sure that's not what Osama bin Laden means by the word.

The EU's verbal acrobatics are intended to fight the radicalization of Muslims in Europe by avoiding words that could unnecessarily offend. "We want to take away any possible motivation or justification for people who are on the brink of becoming terrorists," Mr. Roscam Abbing said.

Let's see if we understand. Calling an Islamic terrorist an Islamic terrorist produces another Islamic terrorist? The only people who could possibly be offended by linking Islam with suicide bombings are Muslims who categorically reject these murders. The fight for the true meaning of Islam won't be won by rewriting Europe's dictionaries. It must be fought within the Islamic community. Playing down the nexus between Islam and terrorism is one way to lose the war.

(Wall Street Journal, NY)