Why is it so important to Republicans that people say "Radical Islam", "Radical Muslims"?

[ck4829]

Every once in a while you may see this, somebody on the right says Obama or someone else doesn't say "Radical Muslim" enough and it's proof... proof of something.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-radical-islamic-terrorism

My question is why?

1. Daesh isn't Beetlejuice, say "Radical Islam" three times and they're still there.

2. It's denying these extremists a label they crave. We should not be giving them quarter, and I think saying "Yes, you ARE the purest form of Muslim and Muslims who don't want to work with you are apostates" is no different than giving them weapons.

3. We need radical Muslims, no not the violent extremists, but there is also a flipside to radical. One of the solutions to what is going on is not moderate Muslims, but Muslims who are the exact opposite of Al Qaeda and other groups. Pluralism, rights for women, rights for gays, etc. I'm not going to pretend they're a majority, but they do exist. Take a look at Muslims for Progressive Values, groups like them should be encouraged.

[Throd]

1. To distinguish them from Muslims who aren't head-chopping psychopaths?

[SickOfTheOnePct]

2. +1000000000000000000 n/t

[arcane1]

3. Because their base consists largely of frightened christians that they want to frighten even more.

Their one and only rationale is this: scare the shit out of these people, scream that Obama is making them even more vulnerable, then claim the role of savior and protector.

[GoneFishin]

5. Pretty much.

[Hortensis]

6. Yup. Fear is a major crowd mover -- to the right in this case.

Note that for a different reason they also did "radicalliberal" very effectively back in the 1980s, so effectively that to this day many people not only don't want to identify themselves as liberal (and choose other words) but may not even realize they are liberal.

[bluestateguy]

4. It's a rabbit hole with no ability to win

Years ago they wanted Obama to say "terrorism" more. The last year or two, he has done that, as they wanted. And it's not enough. Now they want him to say "radical Islam" (which Bush rarely did, btw). And if he said the words they wanted him to say, they find something else to bitch and complain about.

[Thinkingabout]

7. Jeb said this to Jake Tapper this morning and Jake presented a video of W not calling them Muslim.

Terrorists. He changed his accusation. RW needs to remember there are video of the Bush administration not saying Muslim terrorists.

[Rebkeh]

8. In a nutshell, because of tribalism

They need terms like that in order to maintain their narrative. Pretty much everything they argue is based on a "us v them" binary, there's no room for nuance or pesky gray areas. If there is no clear "other," their imaginary paradigm collapses on itself.

In the case of religion, they need dual opposites - 'pure' and 'not pure' - so they can keep the fear machine primed and ready to maintain obscene levels of wealth for their handlers.

Extremist religions are fighting an illusory war of 'good vs evil'. Scholar Reza Aslan, I'm told, has written about it and his work has received good reviews.

In America, the guys at the top of the heap use this war of moral superiority to their advantage. For their purposes, Islam must remain inherently evil with no moderation in it all.

[Agnosticsherbet]

9. Because they want to make Islam the bad religon...

So that Christians can ride to the rescue.

[MisterP]

10. if they can make it entirely about theology they can weed out 42 years of history

heck, the last 4 years are suspiciously off-limits given they happened under a Dem administration

also there's the added bonus of painting IS as the only "real Muslims" and the rest as Cafeteria Islam or whatever: the fundamentalists are right, that theirs IS the only true religion (and that little tale appeals to a lot of lefties, I might add)

[LiberalArkie]

11. I once saw a Islamic Cleric tear into one of the terrorist in English. Is was funny.

Kind of like when you run into a fundy Christian. Most can't quote the verse, just the idea "Gays are bad" "Women are supposed to be home" etc.

Well the cleric asked the guy about why. And the guy would answer the question with a passage. The cleric would ask an entirely different question about terrorism and the guy would reply with the same answer. Anything the cleric would ask would always get the same response. Kind of like our "Fundies".

So I don't believe the term "Radical Islam" even fits. These guys don't even know the Quran it seems. That is what that cleric indicated.

[gratuitous]

12. Two reasons: Because they'll complain about anything

It doesn't matter what happens, if A happens, they'll complain that B didn't happen. If B happens, they'll complain that A didn't happen.

The other reason in this instance is "magical" thinking: If you call something by a particular name, it's supposed to overcome it or something. Remember when the Republicans got all bent out of shape because they said that President Obama hadn't called the Benghazi attacks an act of terror? Obama had indeed called it a terrorist act, to Mitt Romney's everlasting embarrassment. What difference does it make after the fact what you call it? But the fixation on certain terms or words is a persistent hobgoblin in conservative minds.

[Enrique]

13. because they don't have a substantive criticism

they want to attack Obama for being weak, but they don't want to come out publicly for war, because opinion is clearly against another war. So they resort to this semantic nonsense.

[Yorktown]

14. ISIS, Saudi Arabia and Iran ARE the purest form of Islam

All three apply the Sharia. All three hang homosexuals. Two chop the hands of thieves.

Islam, like most religions, is bad. Especially in its purest form.
If Jews were true to the Torah, they would stone to death people working on Saturdays.

It's not a problem of misinterpreting the texts. The problem IS the holy texts.

[Hekate]

15. Takes one to know one: the Repubs are Radical Rightwingers. nt

[Half-Century Man]

16. To fuse those two words together in the minds of Americans.

A graft of terms to forever keep Americans from accepting followers of Islam as actual human beings.

It is far easier to keep us okaying the eternal purchase of ordnance if we feel that the ordnance is being used to burn out a genetic stain rather than kill people just like us.

[UTUSN]

17. I know.1st "terra-terra-terra" then it's not enough gotta be "radical-Islam" never enough