New government 'phrasebook' of terrorism terms

The Home Office has released a new guide of terrorism terms

Monday, 04, Feb 2008 12:00

A new counterterrorism phrasebook aimed at helping governmental officials speak with Muslim communities has been released.

According to the Guardian newspaper, the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government have produced the phrasebook to be distributed among police forces, local councils and government departments.

The guide outlines how officials should speak with Muslim communities about terrorism without implying that they are in anyway involved.

The publication apparently suggests ways of phrasing terms, such as Islamist extremism and jihadi-fundamentalist, so that there is no implication of a direct link between Islam and terrorism.

Instead it claims that "violent extremism" and "criminal murderers" should be used.

A Home Office spokeswoman said that the guide was based on research and was not about political correctness.

She added that when talking with local communities "the message needs to be clear and consistent", otherwise "there is a risk of making a negative impact".

The document states: "This is not intended as a definitive list of what not to say but rather to highlight terms which risk being misunderstood and therefore prevent the effective reception of the message."

The Guardian has claimed that the guide was passed onto them and that the Home Office began the research last year in an attempt to counter al-Qaida propaganda.