(Please note: Linking to an article does not imply endorsement.)
Now there is nothing wrong or judgmental to note that there is little that PCG's writers can do about Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys in Iraq and Syria (formerly known as Al Qaeda in Iraq). Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys (ISIL/ISIS) are a well armed terrorist group that has seized control of large parts of Sunni Iraq and Syria. They have done many terrible things. For instance making disgusting execution videos to scare people into conforming to their rule and to discourage and demoralize those who fight to liberate themselves from ISIL.
There is little PCG can do about these tragic events. They are only a small group of about 5000 members mainly based. They are even forbidden from serving in the armed forces. But what even those so far removed from these terrible events can do is to refuse to give this blood stained group any legitimacy. Currently ISIL call themselves the "Islamic State".
So it is clear that Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys want to be call the "Islamic State". So let us not give them what they want. Let us not call them that.
And yet shamefully PCG's writers gives this justly infamous group what they want and constantly refers to them as "the Islamic State". PCG's writers have a policy of referring to them as "the Islamic State". This may be clearly seen when reading through issues of PCG's Trumpet Weekly.
Unfortunately PCG's leaders have a long history of
fear mongering about Muslims and portraying them in
the worst possible light. This policy by PCG's writers of referring to ISIL as "the Islamic State" seems to be part of this hostile attitude towards Muslims.
To call those power hungry murderers "the Islamic State" ignores the fact that the vast majority of Muslims have nothing to do with ISIL. Thousands of Muslims have and are continuing to fight ISIL in the struggle to liberate themselves from ISIL. The vast majority of those killed by ISIL are Muslims, whether Iraqis, Syrians or Kurds. Many of those would be disgusted to call that infamous blood stained group that killed them and their relatives and friends should be referred to as "Islamic". They know that ISIL exploits religion in order to gain power for themselves at the expense and misfortune of the people.
But for PCG's writers it is was not enough that only PCG's writers themselves called this infamous group "the Islamic State". Very often when citing an article made outside of PCG it is altered to say "the Islamic State" instead of an more bland acronym like "ISIS" or "ISIL".
The problem with this is that rhetoric such as this empowers ISIL. ISIL claims to be the true Muslims and all other Muslims are of a lesser sort unless they fight for Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and his lackeys. To those under the baneful influence of ISIL it will seem as though The Trumpet Weekly agrees that their claim to be the true Muslims is true.
By calling them "the Islamic State" this insinuates that they are true Muslims. ISIL can boast in their murderous propaganda that even non-Muslims "accurately" perceive that they are the true Muslims, which of course is complete nonsense.
Why would anyone thoughtlessly play into ISIL's hands like this? Such talk empowers ISIL. This gives them what they want. Instead of being just a viciously brutal insurgency that causes trouble, kills civilians and tries to usurp power calling this "the Islamic State" empowers them and grants legitimacy to ISIL's claim to be some sort of expression of the Islamic religion. In fact ISIL exploits religion in order to gain power for themselves.
It is shameful that PCG's writers have given ISIL this sick form of legitimacy.
What follows is a list of quotes from PCG's Trumpet Weekly with a few comparisons with the original articles cited in the issue.
Linking to an article does not imply endorsement.
(Please note: Links to Trumpet Weekly issues will prompt a download of the issue as a PDF file.)
At first PCG's writers tended to refer to it as "the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)" as the following quotes show.
On June
29, the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) declared
its formation of a “caliphate” and consequently renamed
itself the Islamic State, to indicate its new status. (Anthony Chibarirwe, ISIS Declaration of Caliphate: Strategy or Blunder?, July 3, 2014, p. 2.)
July 25, 2014 Trumpet Weekly Issue
Later that month PCG's writers are still talking of "the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)".
These could be the words of a modern pope, patriarch or
bishop lamenting the persecution of Christians in northern Iraq and Syria, the region now under the control of the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). (Richard Palmer, ISIS Attacks Christians in Mosul, p. 12.)
But soon after this PCG's leadership made the decision to refer to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys as "the Islamic State".
One of the first glimpses of this policy may be seen within this issue.
On page three of this issue an article from Middle East Eye is excerpted. Note where the text has been altered by PCG's writers.
According to the report, the Islamic
State killed dozens of civilians and
over 200 rebels from other factions
during the same period. ... Meanwhile, Islamic State supporters on Twitter seem buoyed by recent
advances they have claimed.
One, whose handle is Ja’far,
claimed on Tuesday that dozens of
fighters from the Free Syrian Army
had defected to [the Islamic State]
during fighting in the town of Akhtarin in Aleppo governorate, far northern Syria near the border with
Turkey.
He claims that fighters from Jund
al-Aqsa, another rebel group active
in Syria’s war, have now joined [the
Islamic State]. (Trumpet Weekly version, p. 3.)
Here is how the altered text reads in the original Middle East Eye article.
One, whose handle is Ja’far, claimed on Tuesday that dozens of fighters from the Free Syrian Army had defected to IS during fighting in the town of Akhtarin in Aleppo governorate, far northern Syria near the border with Turkey.
He claims that fighters from Jund al-Aqsa, another rebel group active in Syria’s war, have now joined IS. (Middle East Eye, July 29, 2014.)
So we start to see PCG's writers beginning to adopt the practice of referring to ISIL as "the Islamic State", even altering non-PCG writings to enforce PCG's practice.
On page 4-5 of this issue is an article entitled, "Pope Calls for Action
Against Islamic State". The original article is entitled "Pope appeals for international action to help Iraq’s persecuted Christians" (
Catholic Herald).
However this policy had not yet hardened into a standard practice. On the same issue is an excerpt of a Fox News article entitled "ISIS Assault on Iraq's Largest Dam". At one point one of PCG's writers inserts "ISIS" to name those who follow Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.
Residents told the Associated Press
that [ISIS] had taken control of the
Tigris River facility, but crack Kurdish troops guarding the site claim they
repelled the attack, Agence France
Presse reported. (Trumpet Weekly version, August 9, 2014 issue, p. 4.)
Here is how it was in the original Fox News article.
Residents told The Associated Press that the Islamic State (IS), the
militant group formerly known as ISIS, had taken control of the Tigris
River facility, but crack Kurdish troops guarding the site claim they
repelled the attack, Agence France Press reported. (Fox News.)
So clearly among The Trumpet Weekly's writers there was still some inconsistency about how to name Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys. Any such ambiguity was gone by the next issue.
It is in this issue that PCG's decision to call those terrorists as "the Islamic State" is established. The transition is here complete.
Islamic State
Supporters Hand Out
Leaflets in London (Trumpet Weekly)
'The dawn of a new era has begun': ISIS supporters hand out leaflets in London's Oxford Street encouraging people to move to newly proclaimed Islamic State (Daily Mail)
It is in this issue that PCG's insistence on referring to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys as "the Islamic State" hardens to become standard practice for PCG's writers. They even altered numerous instances in which the original source had called them "ISIS" and changed it to say "the Islamic State".
This issue opens with an article by Timothy Oostendarp. Several times it refers to them as "the Islamic State".
During his Sunday blessing on August 10, “Pope Francis
used
unusually strong language
to condemn the actions of
[the Islamic State],” according to the
Guardian
(emphasis added throughout). ((Timothy Oostendarp, Where the Vatican’s Call for Military
Intervention in Iraq Is Headed, p. 1.)
Several times Oostendarp refers to those terrorists as "the Islamic State".
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the president handling Eastern Catholic churches, in his August 7 statement published
by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches thanked the
pope for his “attentive closeness” to the developing situation and called the Islamic State’s actions “acts against
God.” ... Giorgio Lingua, the pope’s ambassador to Baghdad, told
Vatican Radio that United States President Barack Obama’s
decision to bomb Islamic State militants was “something
that had to be done.” ... In what could be a related response to Vatican efforts
to generate a response to the Islamic State, Germany has
also agreed “in principle” to send various armaments to
Kurdish forces fighting the terrorist group. ... In recent months, the Islamic State has taken aim at
both Europe and America ... As the butchering and pillaging in Iraq continues, and
as the Islamic State’s threats against Europe grow, the
Vatican will strengthen its own calls for action. ... In the future,
expect Europe and Germany take the lead in dealing with
the Islamic State’s threat. (Timothy Oostendarp, Where the Vatican’s Call for Military
Intervention in Iraq Is Headed, p. 12.)
This policy is taken to an absurd degree when this issue reprints an article by Alan Dershowitz.
Here is The Trumpet Weekly version of an article by Alan Dershowitz. Why Condemn ISIS
But Accept Hamas? (Trumpet Weekly)
President Barack Obama has rightfully condemned the ISIS beheading of American James Foley in the strongest terms. ... At the same time that President
Obama has called for an all-out war
against the “cancer” of [the Islamic
State], ... I cannot imagine him
urging Iraq, or any other Arab country,
to accept [the Islamic State] as part of a
unity government. ...
Why then the double standard regarding [the Islamic State] and Hamas?
Is it because Hamas is less brutal and
violent than [the Islamic State]? ... Hamas has probably
killed more civilians—through its suicide bombs, its murder of Palestinian
Authority members, its rocket attacks
and its terror tunnels—than [the Islamic State] has done. ... Is it the manner by which [the
Islamic State] kills? ... Indeed
most of [the Islamic State’s] victims
have been shot rather than beheaded, ... Is it because [the Islamic State]
murdered an American? ... Is it because [the Islamic State]
has specifically threatened to bring
its terrorism to American shores,
while Hamas focuses its terrorism
in Israel? ... Everything we rightly fear and
despise from [the Islamic State] we
should fear and despise from Hamas.
Just as we would never grant legitimacy to [the Islamic State], we should
not grant legitimacy to Hamas... (Trumpet Weekly version, p. 2.)
For comparison here is the original article by Alan Dershowitz. Dershowitz refers to it as "ISIS" but numerous times this was altered by PCG's writers to say "[the Islamic State]".
At the same time that President Obama has called for an all-out war against the “cancer” of ISIS, ... I cannot imagine him urging Iraq, or any other Arab country, to accept ISIS as part of a unity government. ... Why then the double standard regarding ISIS and Hamas? Is it because Hamas is less brutal and violent than ISIS? ... Hamas has probably killed more civilians—through its suicide bombs, its
murder of Palestinian Authority members, its rocket attacks and its
terror tunnels—than ISIS has done. ... Is it the manner by which ISIS kills? ... Indeed most of ISIS’s victims have been shot rather than beheaded, ... Is it because ISIS murdered an American? ... Is it because ISIS has specifically threatened to bring its terrorism to
American shores, while Hamas focuses its terrorism in Israel? ... Everything we rightly fear and despise from ISIS we should fear and
despise from Hamas. Just as we would never grant legitimacy to ISIS, we
should not grant legitimacy to Hamas... (Alan Dershowitz, Why Does President Obama Condemn ISIS But Ask Israel to Accept Hamas in Unity Government?, Algemeiner.)
Later on this issue is the following article by Anthony Chibarirwe. Despite the article's brevity it is clearly seen how PCG refers to it as "the Islamic State".
In an
execution
video released on August 18, the Islamic
State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria, threatened to “drown all [Americans] in blood,” if
the United States continues its airstrikes in Iraq. ... Such threats from the Islamic State terrorists against
America aren’t new. In a video interview posted on August 7,
a spokesman for the Islamic State warned, ... The Islamic State’s history of belligerence and beheadings
goes all the way back to its founder Abu Musab al Zarqawi. (Anthony Chibarirwe, The Islamic State Threatens the United States--Again, August 25, 2014, p. 3.)
Here is one paragraph from another article.
Nevertheless, it comes ever closer to
home. In recent weeks the black flag of
jihad as used by [the Islamic State] has
been flown openly in London—supporters of Isis have appeared on Oxford Street—and elsewhere. Just this
week, the imam of a leading Welsh
mosque resigned after a pro-[Islamic
State] guest preacher was invited to
speak at his mosque. (Trumpet Weekly version, p. 9.)
Here is how the article read originally in the Spectator.
Nevertheless, it comes ever closer to home. In recent weeks the black flag of jihad as used by Isis has been flown openly in London — supporters of Isis have appeared on Oxford Street — and elsewhere. Just this week, the imam of a leading Welsh mosque resigned after a pro-Isis guest preacher was invited to speak at his mosque. (Douglas Murray, Spectator, August 20, 2014.)
Further examples of this policy by PCG may be seen in later issues.
Here Richard Palmer refers to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys as "the Islamic State".
In reality, the Nigerian soldiers probably fled—like Iraqi soldiers
before the Islamic State. ... This could change. The group has
links to al Qaeda, and some interpret
the latest video to be a declaration of
support to the Islamic State, and a
pledge to join it. (Richard Palmer, Nigeria: Boko Haram
Declares Caliphate, September 2, 2014, pp. 4-5.)
In one article taken from the Washington Examiner "ISIS" is replaced with "the Islamic State" five times.
“Inadequate grid security, a porous U.S.-Mexico border,
and fragile transmission systems make the electric grid a
target for [the Islamic State],” said Peter Pry, one of the nation’s leading experts on the grid. ... Pry provided details of recent attacks on electricity
systems and said that [the Islamic State] could easily team
with Mexican drug cartels to ravage America. ... “[The Islamic State] could hire one of the Mexican cartels, ... “I am not saying it is likely they will do so. But given
the capabilities and objectives of [the Islamic State] and
our obvious vulnerabilities, ... The Texas Department of Public Safety recently said
they believe there is evidence that [the Islamic State] plans
an attack. ... (Trumpet Weekly version, p. 10.)
Here is the original Washington Examiner version.
“Inadequate grid security, a porous U.S.-Mexico border, and fragile
transmission systems make the electric grid a target for ISIS,” said
Peter Pry, one of the nation’s leading experts on the grid. ... Pry provided details of recent attacks on electricity systems and said
that ISIS could easily team with Mexican drug cartels to ravage America. ... “ISIS could hire one of the Mexican cartels, ... “I am not saying it is likely they will do so. But given the
capabilities and objectives of ISIS and our obvious vulnerabilities, ... The Texas Department of Public Safety recently said they believe there is evidence that ISIS plans an attack. (Paul Bedard, New ISIS threat: America's electric grid; blackout could kill 9 of 10, Washington Examiner, September 3, 2014.)
(Please note: The article above cites Frank Gaffney, a man identified by the Center for American Progress as one of the main pillars of
the Islamophobia Network.)
“The ground campaign is what is
going to defeat [the Islamic State]
in the end,” ... We’re
already seeing reports where U.S.
strikes against [the Islamic State]
are having the effect of bailing out
Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist groups,”(Trumpet Weekly version, p. .)
In the original Washington Examiner version the two instances "the Islamic State" is used to replace "ISIS".
"The ground campaign is what is going to defeat ISIS in the end," ... "We're already seeing reports where U.S. strikes against ISIS are having the effect of bailing out Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist groups,"(Byron York, Five things that could go horribly wrong with Obama's action in Iraq, Washington Examiner, September 10, 2014.)
Not only does this policy give those accursed terrorists what they want, it is also longer than just saying "ISIS" or "ISIL".
September 26, 2014 Trumpet Weekly Issue
Here is another example of a PCG writer referring to ISIL as "the Islamic State" and even altering a quote to say "the Islamic State".
Iran-P5+1 nuclear talks continue in New York,
Iran may employ the latest lever that emerged in its
negotiations tool kit: the Islamic State. ... But Kerry responded to questions raised
by Sen. Marco Rubio at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on September 17 by insisting that he “never said
anything about coordinating” with Iran or Syria. But, he
said, “If we are failing and failing miserably, who knows what
choice they might make” in an effort to “take on [the Islamic
State].” ... The murkiness surrounding United States-Iran cooperation shows just how much leverage Iran can wield in nuclear
negotiations when it comes to fighting the Islamic State. (Anthony Chibarirwe, Iran May Work With the U.S. Against Islamic State, September 24, 2014, p. 3.)
Here are more examples of PCG's writers referring to ISIL as "Islamic State".
... the Islamic State’s rise in Iraq and Syria, ... “For weeks the militia
of [Islamic State] has been massacring innocent people in
Iraq and Syria,” he [zu Guttenburg] wrote in
Bild. (Brad MacDonald, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg:
Positioned for a Comeback?, p. 1.)
Kerry’s response was, “[Islamic State] first. That’s
our policy.” (Anthony Chibarirwe, Syria Is Ready To Explode, October 1, 2014, p. 2.)
Here another new article excerpted in this issue with "Islamic State" inserted in it by a writer for PCG.
“Unless someone very senior has been shredding the
president’s daily briefings and telling him that the dog ate
them, highly accurate predictions about [Islamic State] have
been showing up in the Oval Office since before the 2012
election,” the Obama security staffer told the
Daily Mail. (Obama Has Missed Over Half His Daily Intel Briefings, Breitbart News, September 29, 2014, p. 10.)
In the
original article the altered text reads "ISIL".
And so this list of quotes come to an end.
It is sad that PCG's writers have chosen to refer to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys as "the Islamic State" which has the most unfortunate effect of empowering them in the eyes of those under their baneful influence. It is also insulting to the thousands of Muslims who have suffered and been killed by those power hungry murderers and terrorists. It is also insulting to the thousands of Muslims who are now on the front lines fighting to liberate themselves from the power hungry usurpers of ISIL.
Those of ISIL who murder people on film want to be call the "Islamic State".
Why give those power hungry murders of ISIL what they want?
