What’s an “Islamist”? A Convenient Euphemism for an Uncomfortable Truth

In the modern Western lexicon, the term “Islamist” has emerged as a politically correct escape hatch—a rhetorical trick used by academics, pundits, and politicians alike. It’s employed to neatly separate the religion of Islam from the violence and intolerance often carried out in its name. This euphemism allows people to say: “Islam is peaceful; Islamists are the problem.”

But let’s be honest: this distinction is more about preserving sensibilities than acknowledging reality.

The idea that “Islamism” is somehow distinct from Islam itself is a comfort narrative—crafted not from theology or doctrine, but from the cultural and political desire to avoid offending over a billion Muslims worldwide. It's a propaganda campaign disguised as academic nuance. By labeling perpetrators of jihad and terrorism as "Islamists" rather than simply "Muslims acting on Islamic doctrine," we pretend that the violence is an aberration rather than a reflection of foundational tenets.

The Scheme of Separation

This strategy of rhetorical separation serves two main purposes:

1. To shield Islam from scrutiny. By creating a linguistic buffer, critics can condemn terrorism without appearing “Islamophobic.” The problem is never Islam, they insist, but rather a “radicalized” or “twisted” version of it.

2. To preserve multicultural harmony. Western societies have invested heavily in promoting religious tolerance. Calling out Islam itself for its more aggressive or exclusivist passages risks backlash, both political and societal.

But such mental machinations come at a cost: truth.

Doctrinal Consistency, Not Deviation

When terrorist groups cite scripture, enforce sharia law, or punish apostasy, they are not inventing a new ideology—they are enforcing old ones. Their actions may be extreme, but they are not wholly unorthodox. The harsh penalties for unbelief, the call for jihad, and the division of the world into believers and infidels—these aren’t “radical reinterpretations.” They are textual, historical, and doctrinal elements of Islam itself.

To pretend otherwise is not just disingenuous—it’s dangerous. It blinds the public to the source of the problem and handicaps any effort to understand or address it.

Euphemisms Don’t Stop Bullets

Whether we call them “Islamists,” “jihadists,” or “violent extremists,” the reality remains the same: the acts are motivated by a religious framework, and that framework is Islamic. Refusing to say so doesn’t make it less true. It only makes our public discourse more dishonest and less effective.

Bottom line…

Even if Israel, the United States, and the rest of the Western world did not exist, Muslims would be killing Muslims, much as they already do in the Middle East and elsewhere, as the fight over which Muslims are more adherent followers and the rightful heirs to the religion itself. Never forget, Islam is not an organic religion, but the creation of a violent warlord.

A society that cannot speak clearly about the ideas that motivate violence is a society unprepared to defend itself against them.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve