Minister Asks BBC To Stop Referring To The 'So-Called Islamic State'

Thursday, 14 July 2016 14:35

Muslim leaders believe the BBC is making it harder for them to counter radicalisation by referring to "so-called Islamic State", Labour has said.

Andy Burnham MP, shadow home secretary and Labour candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, renewed pressure on the broadcaster to use Daesh as an alternative description of the terror group, which rose to prominence after seizing large areas of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

He insisted the BBC's current description gives a "status" to the radical Sunni Islamist militant group, which refers to itself as Islamic State, that it does not deserve.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Burnham said: "The use of the word 'so-called' does not undermine the following words 'Islamic' or 'state' but these are the two words that the public hears.
"It gives a status to this organisation that they don't deserve and also it makes it sound as though they are an authorised branch of Islam.

Mr Burnham claims his comments in the House of Commons follow recent visits to local Mosques, he said "They say that the use of the word 'so-called' does not undermine 'Islamic' nor the word 'state' and it is only making their job harder and they feel very strongly about this."

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