“Extremism” is a euphemism in itself, and a pernicious one, as it has enabled the U.S. far-left hate group the Southern Poverty Law Center to smear foes of the leftist agenda and opponents of jihad terrorism as “extremists,” implying they’re terrorists without saying so outright, and paving the way for what we’re seeing now, the redirection of law enforcement and intelligence efforts against a largely imaginary “right-wing extremist” threat and the criminalization of political opposition on the pretext of silencing dangerous “extremists.”
But now Australia is taking the madness one step farther, and attempting to appease its growing and restive Muslim population by eliminating the “Islamic extremism” designation in favor of “religiously motivated violent extremism,” as if all religions were equally likely to give rise to violence against unbelievers. Unfortunately for the appalling Mike Burgess, ignoring jihad violence and pretending it doesn’t exist by labeling it something else won’t make it go away.
“Australia spy agency to relabel Islamic, right-wing extremism,” DPA, March 17, 2021:
Sydney (dpa) – Australia’s domestic intelligence agency ASIO will ditch the expressions “Islamic extremism” and “right-wing extremism” to refer to violent threats as the labels are “no longer fit for purpose.”
In his second annual threat assessment, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the terms will be replaced with “religiously motivated violent extremism” and “ideologically motivated violent extremism,” which more accurately describe what security agencies are seeing.
“These are umbrella terms – and there may be circumstances where we need to call out a specific threat that sits underneath them – but we believe this approach will more accurately and flexibly describe security-relevant activities,” Burgess said as he delivered the assessment in Canberra on Wednesday evening….
serialthinker2003 says
There is no need to cover this phrase, we definitely know that it is Islamic, even if they say it is a peaceful attack; it’s just Islamic
Mike says
yep
here what kind of Crime happened and all the blanks fill out them selves
Rape = Muslim
Beheading = Muslim
killing of there children = Muslims
Honor Killings = Muslim
blank = Muslims
Hamish MacDonald says
Och Aye
LB says
At this point, whenever the mainstream media does not reveal the identity of the perpetrator, I simply assume he is a member of the protected class, meaning muslim or black (or both). And I’m right at least 90% of the time.
Mikep says
Suicidal and stupid decision. You can’t defend yourself against an enemy that you’re not allowed to identify. It’s not “islamic extremism.” It’s nothing more and nothing less than run-of-the-mill islamic activism.
? Allah Akbar suckers ?
Del says
The entire world knows which so called “religion” promotes and commits violent extremism. ISLAM. Trying to paint it in gentle words is pathetic and VERY offensive.
Buraq says
Why not go all the way and simply say: ‘Violence carried out by you-know-who, inspired by-you-know what!’
Clown!
jca reid says
All they need to do is read the Quran. It’s all about taking over the World & subjugation peoples. If they do not want to be subjugated, they’re to be killed. i wish th eWest would stop making excuses for their degenerate, perverted crap,
Jim says
Obama insisted in calling it radical extremism and censoring Islamic terrorism from all government training manuals and public use. Of course there can be Christian radical extremism, but how much of that is there today, probably not very much at all. In the novel 1984 the government rewrote the dictionaries so that people would not have words to talk about tyranny. They reversed the meaning of words in the Newspeak. It goes back to the past when the minority communists called themselves the majority party, the Bolsheviks, if I recall. The book The True Believer by Eric Hoffer is a good source for understanding our leftist ways of hiding from reality through the use of euphemisms. Or Alice in Wonderland. I use a word to mean what I want it to mean.
Infidel says
On one hand, Australia is filling up a leadership vacuum in the world in standing up to, and speaking up against Beijing for the Chinavirus spread, and demanding that they be held accountable for the worldwide death tolls and economic devastation. Otoh, here, they’re acting exactly like Left wing cretins!
Will the real Australia please stand up?
underbed cat says
At first I thought” I thought they just did stand up” …. referred to”.religious extremism”,instead of right wing extremism, they don’t have to say it as a misunderstanding by jihadist ” of the Quran or sharia law anymore, in fact it is just the opposite. The left wing/ islamist perfer we be silenced and find beauty….but they cannot revise it. I guess it lies in the definition of defending against islamophobia which turns accurately stating the doctrine as racist accusations and tries to implement sharia laws. Could it be the Biden effect, he repeated a an Islamic verse that he did not understand as methods of jihad just because it sounded nice. Opps. Nor apparently he does not know about the obligation for muslims to travel to all countries of the world as preparation stage for a civilization jihad war, but must show a friendly face but hold a hard heart, deny the truth, years of open borders, mass migration numbers already for 40 yeras here and we have our cities surrounded. Troops in Syria or else where will not help America defend the homeland.
Walter Sieruk says
First this new term ” Religiously motivated violent extremism” is rather unclear about the specific religion that cause the violence. Which is many times, most often, is the religion of Islam. For Islam’s “holy book” the Qur ‘an [the Koran] instructs on the use of violence and killing for the advancement of Islam. As found in ,for example 2:191. 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4.
Second , it also should be remembered that the other term “Islamic extremism ‘ is Western term and unknown in the Islamic world. This is because what most Westerners view as violent Muslim extremist” is in the House of Islam is viewed Muslim dedicated to Islam So such violent extremism carried out by Muslims in the Islamic mindset is views as a very devote Muslim who is engaging in the unofficial sixth pillar of Islam
gravenimage says
Must be those Zen Buddhists–or perhaps Seventh Day Adventists…
Islamaphone says
So what will they call Islamic State? Religiously Motivated Violent State?
john smith says
Ha ha, I like that one. Religiously Motivated Violent State.
James Lincoln says
Memo to ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess:
As in medicine, changing the name of the condition does not change the condition…
Treereen says
Same thing was being considered in the UK recently buuut a cowpat by any other name is just as slippery.
English is a wonderful language for this:
“islamic extremism”
“religiously motivated violent extremism”
“belief-related unpleasantness”
“attitudinal maladjustment”
“some people did something”
“nothing to see here”
gravenimage says
Grimly hilarious, Treereen.
Treereen says
(respectful hat tip)
gravenimage says
🙂
Check Burry says
Awful frightfulness, followed by Frightful awfullness, its all the same.
Walter Sieruk says
Just a few days ago Muslim terrorism was called “Islamic extremism . Now an even more watered down mild and vague term is used which is “Religiously motivated violent extremism” Next they will make up an even more unclear term for Islamic terrorism.
Let’s be intellectually honest and call jihadists and their Islamic terrorist actions for what they really are.
Keith O says
I can understand why ASIO is changing the terminology, after all we have to keep track of all the Hindu, Buddhist, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Pagan terrorists that are running rampant through the streets.
What a bunch of arse kissing, politically correct wankers. And this is another example of how Scott Morrison is pissing away our taxes.
Just sickening.
tim gallagher says
These weasel words are truly pathetic. As several commenters have mentioned, most of us know that it is Muslim terrorism anyway. Since terrorist attacks are a major part of the Muslim play book, unlike other, more decent and more civilised, non-Muslim people, and 99% of terrorist attacks are bound to be Muslim, this politically correct bullshit is pointless garbage. I have been annoyed by the news reports here in Australia which almost never mention Islam , but will merely say an “attempted terrorist” attack, at least, when first reporting. Later on, the truth will be unavoidable that, yes, yet again, it is Muslims trying to murder non-Muslims. In Melbourne, a few days ago, two teenagers were arrested for having tried to carry out some kind of terrorist attack. I saw a Victorian police officer at a press conference trying to speak this same type of bullshit. He was saying that they weren’t going to talk about what type of people were trying to carry out the terrorist attack as it was irrevelant or some such thing. Then he did say that this attempted terrorism had some type of religious motivation. A reporter immediately asked, “Was it Islamic?” and he did at least then say, “Yes, in this case it was islamic” or some such thing. I’m relying on my memory of this fairly strange press conference, but it went something like that. These two Muslim youths , among other terrorist plans, had tried to light fires or something along those lines. The TV news report said something about how, during the days of Covid lockdown, youths were becoming more involved with sites online that could radicalise them.
gravenimage says
Australia: Intel agency to drop term ‘Islamic extremism’ in favor of ‘religiously motivated violent extremism’
………………
This isn’t enough of a euphemism–now Islam cannot be referred to even in passing–even though other faiths are not waging Jihad terror.
More ignoring of reality.
Linda Rivera says
Quran (3:56) – “As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.”
Is the Australian government going to declare that the hundreds of millions of non Muslims savagely slaughtered by Muslims has nothing to do with Islam?
And declare that the Quran has NOTHING to do with Islam?
https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/violence.aspx
The Quran contains at least 109 verses that speak of war with nonbelievers, usually on the basis of their status as non-Muslims.
Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding.
Muslims who do not join the fight are called ‘hypocrites’ and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
Battle says
Auatralia’s ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess might want to take a word from The San Francisco Examiner’s Nine Twelve 2001CE cover!
And I quote: “BASTARDS”
No euphemisms there.
gravenimage says
Please note that the Examiner is the more conservative San Francisco newspaper–the Chronicle *never* would have used this kind of strong headline.
Peace says
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT
It’s the bit where they want to kill us all if we don’t bow down to them that gets me …..
Andrew Blackadder says
These talking heads need to be told that the book 1984 was a fictional account and not a bloody handbook for the future.
Changing the definition of words is always a thing George Carlin would use in his many Stand Up Comedy routines, for instance, crazy people became, mentally challenged, obese people become fucking ate too much… no that was my new definition, but its the start of the “words that hurt “, whereas when I was a wee laddie in Bonnie Scotland we used to sing, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but WORDS will never hurt me”, but then I grew up in the slums in the middle of Glasgow….. No soy boys around in those days, circa 1950s. And it wasnt too Bonnie either…
Aussie Infidel says
No doubt there are some other “religiously or ideologically motivated violent extremists” among the Australian population who are not Islamic extremists. There are crazies and fanatics in all sections of human society. However, no other group but Islam has its violent objectives set out clearly in its holy book, the Quran, which everyone can read for themselves – but of course, few Westerners ever do. No matter how ASIO might reframe the issue, a critical long term problem will remain the animosity of Islam toward all other religions and cultures, and its use of jihad or holy war to achieve its political goal of world domination.
This seems to be just another case of either ignorance or political correctness to obscure the dangers that Australia and all free societies face from Islam, or a vain attempt to appease militant Muslims. There is only one religion or ideology that deliberately incites its followers to “kill unbelievers”, and that’s Islam. ASIO would do well to remember the words of former British PM Winston Churchill: “Appeasers are like those who feed a crocodile, hoping it will eat them last”.
In the US, the Obama administration – which was sympathetic to Muslims – rebranded former President George W Bush’s ‘War on Terror’, as “Countering Violent Extremism”. They even removed all mention of “Islam” from their training manuals and in the process, drastically reduced the ability of US law enforcement to deal effectively with the Islamic jihad. Is ASIO trying to do the same? https://www.outsidethebeltway.com/war_on_terror_now_countering_violent_extremism/
This move also illustrates a shortsighted view of the real long term problem. Whenever an Islamic jihad attack takes place, it is regarded as a single isolated criminal incident unrelated to any others, instead of just one more guerrilla attack in a long war of attrition. Does ASIO not understand that the initial motivation for ALL jihad attacks are the same verses in the Islamic scriptures calling for hatred and violence against non-Muslims? That those verses have been there from the inception of Islam some 1,400 years ago. Do they not understand that those verses have motivated millions of jihadis throughout the centuries to attack their neighbors – just because they were not Muslims – long before any of the recent conflicts in the Middle East?
Does ASIO understand the Islamic doctrine of Al-Wala W’al-Bara, or Loving and Hating for Allah, and how it polarizes the Islamic world and the rest of humanity? Why Muslims refer to the Islamic world as Dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam)? And all other countries as the Dar al-Harb (or the abode of war)?
How does ASIO think the words “To the shores of Tripoli” in the US Marine’s Hymn came about? They need to study the actions of former US President Thomas Jefferson in putting an end to the raids by the Barbary Pirates against US shipping in the Mediterranean. When will Western authorities wake up to the fact, that Islam is at war with non-Muslims everywhere? And that war will continue as long as Islam exists to influence the mindsets of its followers with its doctrine of Jihad.
Who in ASIO decided that “Islamic extremism” was no longer “fit for purpose”? Was it someone who has recently attended a Dawa presentation or Interfaith Dialogue meeting with his friendly local imam? Does he understand the Islamic Doctrine of Taqiyya or religiously sanctioned lying to protect the religion against criticism? Sure, we can expect trouble from leftist inspired groups like BLM and Antifa, the Neo-Nazis, or even sympathizers of the CCP. But we would be fools to underestimate our oldest enemy, or give them any quarter whatsoever.
And finally, how will ASIO decide if a particular incident is “religiously motivated” or “ideologically motivated violent extremism”, when Islam is both a religion and a politically motivated theocratic ideology?
Check Burry says
If it looks like a drip, sounds like a drip, writes like a drip, makes daft policies, it is a drip.
I never thought of aussies as knee benders.
owensgate says
What a great advancement forward! How about also we disallow any reference to race, skin color or distinguishing features in any APB, like make sure the “usual suspects” lineup is ethnically and “genderly” BALANCED, no matter how stupid it looks. Better to have it “PC” than “investigatively correct”.
citoyen says
Soon to be known by the four letter acronyms RMVE and IMVE just as the former foreign minister (J. Bishop) used to refer to Islamic State as Daesh so no one knew what she was talking about.
Australia’s Parliament is almost entirely white guys but walk around its cities and you see that its universities are wall to wall with mainland Chinese students (no spies to report there sir; they are just in Australia to study Capitalism and see how it works and pick up a handy passport awhiles).
And its impossible to walk more than a few yards without passing the averted eyes of a woman in a hijab -except on ANZAC Day when there is nary a one to be seen.
Australia has a population of just 25 million but is flooding it with a million more permanently from overseas every few years (that’s apart from the hordes of me-no-speak-English “students” who are destroying Australia’s formerly high educational standards).
Australia’s famous laid back culture is rapidly disappearing, soon only to be found in the graveyard of cultures along with the Druids.
.
dumbledoresarmy says
However: with the international border closed due to the pandemic, such that ONLY those registered as citizens / permanent residents able to enter from abroad – and I don’t see this state of affairs changing anytime soon – the flood of immigrants has basically.. stopped. Which i think is a damn good thing. The other lesson from the pandemic is that all over the West, governments who had claimed it was impossible to close borders, discovered that they COULD when given sufficient motivation. All we need to do… and it’s a big ask, but let’s start trying – is to find a way of spreading the meme – “the worst of all plagues… ISLAM”. and press to… quarantine it!
gravenimage says
*So* glad to hear this re Australia, DDA. Here, given Biden’s openly setting out the welcome mat to all and sundry, illegal immigration has *soared* here and is completely out of control.
And there have been numerous cases of those on terror watch lists–mostly Muslims–coming on over the southern border.
john smith says
We have been whitewashing islam for far to long, instead of calling them terrorists or extremists, lets start calling them for what they really are.
So when a jihadi blows up a load of children at a concert, lets call him for what he really is. Just an ordinary everyday muslim practicing his religion.
Politicallyincorrectistruth says
There are 27 groups listed on the Australian governments “terror watch-list” website and they are all ISLAMIC. No Hindu or Jewish or Christian or Buddhist …or any other religion. To not call it islamic jihad terrorism is as insane as calling an illiterate, warlord, pedophile, slave owner…a prophet.
The actions of muslims around the world does more to create a negative view of islam far more than calling it what it is…islamic jihad terrorism…ever could.
Mike burgess is a disgrace for caving in to local muslims who lobbied for the change in name.