A Quick Memo to Meet the Press.

"Meet the Press" is US network NBC's flagship Sunday morning political discussion show. It involves senior political figures being invited to meet a panel made up of, erm, the press to discuss the big political stories of the week. Despite this scintillating premise the show has suffered in recent years from low ratings leading to the host David Gregory being sacked in August to be replaced by Chuck Todd - NBC's senior White House correspondent.

The White House was clearly keen for Todd to do well in his new role so provided Meet the Press with an exclusive interview with President Obama for Todd's first show last Sunday (7/9/14). That interview focused very heavily on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and what, if anything, the US' response was going to be. Once the first part of that recorded interview had been broadcast the first topic discussed by the panel was why Obama kept referring to "ISIL" while the US press continued to refer to "ISIS?"

The panel concluded that the President was wrong and the press were right because the second "S" is ISIS stood for "Syria." The only problem is that the Arabic spelling of "Syria" is "Suriyah." Therefore if the second "S" in ISIS stood for "Syria" the groups Arabic name would be;

"al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi Iraq wa ash-Suriyah"

However it is in fact;


"al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi Iraq wa ash-Sham"

The word "Sham" or "Sharm" translates into English as "Levant" which is an almost mythical medieval nation made up of parts of modern Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon although its borders aren't exactly strictly defined. This distinction is highly important because in some of the wilder interpretations of Sunni Islam the Levant is where god's next prophet will appear on top of a white minaret signalling the start of the ultimate battle against Shia Muslims bringing about the end of the World. Of course in some of the wilder interpretations of Shia Islam the Levant is the place where the false army will be raised only to be defeated by true (Shia) Muslims in battle allowing the World to continue in peace and harmony.

Therefore it is very important that people get ISIL's name right because it reveals a lot about their nihilistic intent and the religious fault lines in the region that the group and its supporters hope to exploit.

Hopefully Meet the Press will stop to correct their mistake in tomorrow's show because I think it's going to be quite relevant when Obama starts trying to win permission from Congress to train and arm groups such as "Supporters of the Levant," "Falcons of the Levant" and "Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant." 


21:30 on 13/9/14 (UK date).