Terms to use and avoid when talking about terrorism

By The Associated PressThu Apr 24, 2:17 PM ET

Some do's and don't's from the National Counterterrorism Center:

• Don't use the term "jihadist," which has broader religious meanings beyond war, or "mujahedeen," which refers to holy warriors.

• Do say "violent extremist" or "terrorist."

• Don't use the term "al-Qaida movement," because this makes al-Qaida seem like a legitimate political movement.

• Don't use "Islamo-fascism" and other terms that could cause religious offense.

• Do use the term "totalitarian."

• Don't label groups simply as "Muslim."

• Do use descriptive terms to define how a group fits into society. For example: South Asian youth and Arab opinion leaders.

• Don't use "caliphate" when explaining al-Qaida's goals, as this has positive implications.

• Don't use "salafi," "Wahhabist," "sufi," "ummah" and other words from Islamic theology unless you are able to discuss their varied meanings. Particularly avoid using "ummah" to mean the Muslim world, as it is a theological term.

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