The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is refusing to identify the "influential Muslim Americans" and "leading U.S.-based scholars and commentators on Islam" who met with Secretary Michael Chertoff in helping shape a softer approach to government lexicon about terrorists and their ideological motivations.
"Our policy is we don't comment on the Secretary's private schedule," spokeswoman Amy Kudwa told the IPT. Nor would she identify any of the participants' organizational affiliation.
DHS and the State Department's Counterterrorism Communications Center each issued reports urging government employees to avoid words like "jihad," "mujahedeen" or any reference to Islam or Muslims, especially in relation to Al Qaeda. The Investigative Project on Terrorism is making the documents available for the first time here and here.
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Interesting since Middle East news sources use those very same words consistently and they're smack dab in the midst of jihadists and mujahedeen, etc.
Some overpaid 3-piece suit had an overdose of sensitivity training it appears (no doubt by those grievously "offended."). Does this mean Catholic priests, Buddhist monks, Orthodox rabbis (et al other faiths) are similarly protected from media referencing? (sarc.)