by Jason Gay
Although it might seem petty, it is important to understand why the name of this particular terrorist organization is of concern. As it turns out, the name helps us understand the mission of the organization.
Formed in 1999 as Jama'at al Tawhid wal-Jihad (Group of Monotheism and Jihad), the group had a tendency to focus on local enemies as well as Western enemies—especially the U.S. Beyond attacking the U.S. during Desert Storm, they also bombed several regional targets such as the Jordanian embassy, killing 17 and wounding 40, and a mosque, killing 85 and wounding 500.
The group eventually became known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, actually named Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (Organization of Jihad's Base in Mesopotamia). Despite being known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, their actual chosen name was of significance once again. Their mission changed from generally focusing on Islam and jihad to becoming the force of jihad in Mesopotamia. Again, the group would target regional enemies as well as insurgency operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This led to another name change: Dawlat al-Iraq al-Islamiyah (Islamic State of Iraq).
At some point, the Islamic State of Iraq had become estranged from al-Qaeda, likely due to its regional focus. This became apparent when the group, now called ad-Dawlah al-Islamiyah fil-Iraq wa al-Sham (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) was denied a merger with al-Qaeda by Ayman al-Zawahiri. ISIL has since grown to be the greatest terrorist threat in the world, and has declared the region it now controls as the Islamic State.
Which brings us to the importance of the name; the name can be translated to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. The debate over ISIS or ISIL is the result of two ways in which the group's name could be translated, in particular "al-Sham." This could either be left as al-Sham or translated to Levant. Contrary to the common statements in the media, the final "S" in ISIS does not stand for Syria; but it is this misconception that makes this discussion worthwhile.
In short, there are three acronyms that could be accurately used: ISIL, ISIGS, or DAIISH. ISIS is an awkward name, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which uses an English translation of most of the name while using "al-Sham" in place of the more accurate, but rarely used, English word "Levant."
The Levant includes all or part of modern Israel, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, the West Bank, and Gaza. This organization's name has consistently reflected its focus and the targets of its aggression. Therefore we should be sure to understand ISIL does not seek to simply control parts of Iraq and Syria that it has now deemed the Islamic State, but has far greater ambitions—the beginning of a new caliphate. This is why the Department of Defense and President Obama use ISIL rather than ISIS.
In short, referring to the group as ISIS believing the organization is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is wrong. Using ISIS with the understanding the last 'S' stands for al-Sham, is correct but risks perpetuating the misunderstanding of those who believe it stands for Syria. ISIL is more correct, unless you prefer ISIGS or DAIISH. It seems as though the media has chosen ISIS because it sounds better than the alternatives, but that is pure speculation.
Note: ISIGS – Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, an attempt to modernize "Levant," but not exactly accurate. DAIISH is simply an abbreviation for the Romanized name, without translating: ad-Dawlah al-Islamiyah fil-Iraq wa ash-Sham.