ISIS, ISIL, Da'esh: The key to defeating ISIS could be what name we use

For a militant group that's emerged as what is being called the single biggest terror threat against the West, there seems to be a lot of confusion over just what to call it.

U.S. President Barack Obama has used the name "ISIL." His Secretary of State John Kerry, says "Da'esh"... as does British prime minister David Cameron. Our prime minister, Justin Trudeau, says ISIL... but his Minister of Defense Harjit Sajjan calls them ISIS.

Here at CBC the group is styled as ISIS.

And of course different news organizations vary just as politicians do.

There are different rationales behind the different terms, and many argue the name we use has far-reaching consequences.

• Zeba Khan is a writer on Islam and politics. She was in San Francisco, California.
• Kelly McBride is the Vice President for Academic Programs at The Poynter Institute. She was in St. Petersburg, Florida.
• Bessma Momani is a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and Political Science Professor at the University of Waterloo.  
   

This segment was produced by The Current's Pacinthe Mattar.