Whats in a name? A lot, and we need to pay attention. Weve recently seen a very violent jihadist form of Islam emerge in the chaos of Syria and Iraq. Many news organizations are calling it ISIS - the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. But up until Sunday, June 29th thats not what they called themselves. Now they just call themselves the Islamic State, but the shortened name is because of growing ambitions. Beginning in April of last year, this group called themselves the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham. The Arabic word Sham translates to the word Levant. Our State Department calls them the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. Most Americans dont know what the word Levant means. It is actually a very old term that originated when the economic world centered around the Mediterranean Sea. Levant literally means rising referring to the place where the sun rises or the eastern Mediterranean coastline. It refers to all of the territory of the following countries: Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, part of southern Turkey, and Israel. It is used frequently by individuals, countries, and nations that refuse to recognize the State of Israel. So, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - (ISIL) reveal, by the name they chose, that they intend to expand into these other nations. Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, part of southern Turkey, and Israel will all be replaced by ISIL if they have their way. The name change on Sunday indicates even greater ambitions. When they changed their name to the Islamic State, they declared that they are one nation-state, or caliphate, for every true Muslim. The idea is to unify all Muslims around the world and control as much territory as possible. ISIS is a cute sounding name, reminding many from my generation of Saturday Morning live-action shows with Shazam!, Captain Marvel, and Isis. And the initials that ISIS represents makes telling the news easy; most people know where Iraq and Syria are - or at least know that they are countries in the Middle East. But it masks the true intentions of ISIL and now the Islamic State. We are living at a time when people want to be entertained and the news media is lazy and ignorant. Just be aware that this group, if not addressed, will impact our future headlines with unforeseen horrors. Wake up. We are not fighting a war on terror, we are in a battle with a ruthless ideology and we need to realize what’s going. If we remain asleep while this evil grows, what happens in the future will make 9/11 look like a common traffic accident. Don’t be afraid, be aware. Pay attention. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt. - 1790 speech by Irish orator John Philpot Curran.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 02:38:04 +0000
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