British PM Brown: Don't Call Terrorists Moslem and Don't Say War On Terror

The Hedgehog Blog is a bit late in addressing this story out of Great Britain, because we had access problems for about a week. The Daily Express reported last week that new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in the wake of the failed bombings by Islamic terrorists in London and Glasgow, has banned the use by his ministers of the word "Muslim" in connection with the terrorism crisis. (Presumably "Moslem" and "Islamic" also fell under the ban.) Moreover, he has also directed his ministers not to refer to the War on Terror, as that phrase is too closely identified with the governments of former Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush.

I have never liked the phrase, "War on Terror," for reasons expressed best in the Dry Bones cartoon posted below. However, we seem to be facing a real paucity of language. Suggestions from our readers are welcome. How about the "the people's struggle against violence by misguided practitioners of the religion of peace?" If you can do better, leave us a comment.