?”????́?? (?”???•́??): Daesh
In Russia, there are Good Organizations and Bad Organizations. Of course, that's true of every country on earth, but recently the words used to describe some Bad Organizations are changing in Russia, perhaps to the confusion of readers, viewers and listeners.
Some things, however, are not confusing. Russian law has certain requirements with regard to Bad Organizations. The law on mass media has a long passage with about 14 clauses all about the legal requirements when referring to Bad Organizations. These are organizations that have been closed or forbidden to operate by decision of the Ministry of Justice.? ? The trick is that when you mention them in the media, you must also note that ???±?‰?µ???‚???µ???????µ ???±???µ???????µ?????µ ???»?? ?????°?? ???€???°?????·?°?†???? ?»?????????????€?????°???‹ ???»?? ???… ???µ???‚?µ?»?????????‚?? ?·?°???€?µ?‰?µ???° (this non-governmental movement or other organization has been closed or their activities are banned).
And that's why every time a newspaper mentions, say, ???€?°???‹?? ???µ???‚???€ (Right Sector) — as I have just now — it is required to clarify: ???€???°?????·?°?†???? ?·?°???€?µ?‰?µ???° ?? ? ?????????? (an organization banned in Russia). The only exception to this rule is: ?µ???»?? ?·?°???€?µ?‰?‘?????‹?µ ???€???°?????·?°?†???? ???????????????‚?‹ ?? "???????? ???µ???°?‚?????????? ???????‚?µ?????‚?µ" (if the banned organization is mentioned in a "clearly negative context"). Then you don't have to add the clarifying phrase. But, of course, perceptions might vary on that clearly negative context, so let's just say again that it's an organization banned in Russia.
So that's one aspect of things: legally mandating language to make sure citizens know the state's attitude toward some organizations.
But then there's the switch from ???“???› (what is usually called ISIS in English) to ?”?????? (sometimes written ?”???•??, what is usually called Daesh in English) — which, whatever you call it, is banned in Russia as a terrorist organization.
The term ?”?????? — to refer to an organization banned in Russia — suddenly appeared in the Russian mass media at the end of November, when state media journalists, editors and producers got a memo from their bosses to use it. We don't know if their bosses got a memo, too. In any case, the switch was a state recommendation.
But it turns out that it is strongly supported by the Muslim clergy of Russia. Although it is an abbreviation what is usually called ISIS— an organization banned in Russia — one scholar explains: ??‚???‚ ?‚?µ?€?????? ?·?????‡???‚ ???????·???‚?µ?»??????, ?‚?°?? ???°?? ???? ?????·?????‡?µ?? ?°?€?°?±?????????? ???»??????, ?????‚???€???µ ?????¶???? ???µ?€?µ???µ???‚?? ???°?? "?‚???‚, ???‚?? ???µ?µ?‚ ?€?°?·?????€/?€?°?·?€?????µ?????µ" (This term sound insulting, since it is similar to an Arabic word that could be translated as "the one who sows conflict/destruction.")? ?
Russian imams even suggested deciphering ???“???› — ???€???°?????·?°?†????, ?·?°???€?µ?‰?‘?????°?? ?? ? ?????????? (an organization banned in Russia), — as ???±?»???????????µ ???????????°?€???‚???? (Satanic state) instead of ?????»?°?????????µ ???????????°?€???‚???? (Islamic state) since the organization, they say, ???µ ?????µ?µ?‚ ???‚???????µ?????? ???? ?? ?????»?°????, ???? ?? ???????????°?€???‚???? (has nothing in common with either Islam or statehood). What's more: ?’ ???‚?»???‡???µ ???‚ ???“ ???»?? ???“???›, ?°?±?±?€?µ?????°?‚???€?° ?”?????? ???µ ???€?????°?µ?‚ ?±?°???????‚?°?? ???°?¶?µ ???‚?‚?µ?????°, ???°???µ???° ???° ???°??????-?‚?? ?»?µ?????‚???????????‚?? (Unlike IS or ISIS, the abbreviation Daesh doesn't give these gangsters so much as a whiff or a hint of any kind of legitimacy.) And no matter what it's called, it's banned in Russia as a terrorist organization.
Not every mass media organization operating in Russia has changed their usage, mostly, as one news outlet wrote, because ?·?°?????‚?‹???°?‚?? ?‡???‚?°?‚?µ?»?µ?? ???µ ?…???‡?µ?‚???? (we don't want to confuse our readers).
But just so there is no confusion: these organizations are banned in Russia.?
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.