Free Republic

The Meaning of 'Islamofascism' The MEMRI Report By STEVEN STALINSKY May 24, 2006 Since the war on terrorism began many new Arabic and Islamic terms including "Fatwa" and "Jihad" have been introduced to Western vernacular. To the displeasure of some Islamists other terms such as "homicide bomber" and "Islamofascism" have also been introduced. An article titled "How the Right Played the Fascism Card Against Islam" on the Web site of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is highly critical of using the term "Islamofascism":

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent threat to “wipe Israel off the map” received massive media attention, especially in the West. In Canada, most newspapers ran editorials denouncing Ahmadinejad; several also ran opinion pieces. On CTV National News (Oct. 28), a 21/2-minute report by Janis Mackey Frayer showed scenes of anti-Israel fervour in Tehran. Frayer interviewed Dore Gold, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who said: “You cannot threaten to exterminate a fellow UN member and [expect that] the world will remain silent.” Frayer concluded her report: “Refusing to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist is nothing new for Iran,...

There is an upside to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's shocking call to wipe Israel off the map: it is a good thing that the Iranian leader has revealed his hopes. For by doing so, he has helped those who are still undecided as to how to relate to the Iranian regime. Those European leaders who suggest that Israel get used to the idea of life in the shadow of an Iranian nuclear bomb - and who offer as an example Western Europe, which faced the threat of Soviet nuclear arms - should take into account that the Soviet Union never...