ISIS Nova Scotia changes name to avoid terrorist group association
New name stands for Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia
An organization that helps new immigrants settle in Nova Scotia unveiled its new name on Wednesday in an effort to avoid being associated with a terrorist group.
The Immigrant Settlement & Integration Services agency in Halifax is now known as the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, or ISANS.
On their website, ISANS said the name of their organization is the only thing that's changed — the essence of the group will remain the same.
Last month, the organization said the old name became a problem because it was a shared acronym with the jihadist group ISIS — the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The immigration group said at one point the connotation was so bad, staff were embarrassed to wear their name tags and partners were unwilling to say their name at public events.
The main concern for the group was the reaction of clients from Syria and Iraq, where the terrorist group is operating.
ISIS, the terrorist group, is often referred to in other ways. Some call it ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
ISANS said it was hoping the name ISIS wouldn't stick, but it did and forced the name change.