Barack Obama is clearly wrong when he refuses to use the word “Islam” in reference to Islamist terrorism. It seems blindingly obvious to say, but the spirit of religion begins with a sense that God exists. In some sense the phrase “Islamic radicalism” is wrong because terrorism is not a radical extension of this kind of faith. When Omar Mateen was in the midst of his rampage, he was posting on Facebook and calling a TV station. Obama is using language to engineer a reaction rather than to tell the truth, which is the definition of propaganda.

Source: New York Times June 17, 2016 07:18 UTC