Watchword of the Day – Beware the Caliphate

In describing terrorism’s threat, US government and military officials evoke the specter of the seventh-century Islamic empire that stretched throughout the Middle East and included areas of Southwest Asia, North Africa and Spain. Historically, the empire was known as the “caliphate,” and US leaders warn that the ultimate goal of Islamic militants is to reestablish it. The word “caliphate” generates fear, particularly in the US, by implying a vast, fundamentalist Islamic state that could threaten democracy on a global level. Critics accuse the Bush administration of using the buzzword to build support for its policies in Iraq even though the actual threat of a modern-day caliphate is not particularly urgent. Islamic scholars contrast the ability of small groups of terrorists to perpetrate violence with the immense numbers and mobilization needed for a true “global conquest.” They also point out that few Muslims support an Islamic state established by Al-Qaeda. Nonetheless, US officials increasingly rely on the term to emphasize the magnitude of the US conflict with terrorism. – YaleGlobal