Obama: 'The Islamic State' is neither Islamic nor a state

Obama: &#039;The Islamic State&#039; is neither Islamic nor a state

(Image credit: White House/YouTube)

last updated 8 January 2015

In his address tonight, President Obama spoke strongly against the terrorist organization commonly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, or ISIL) — including a swipe at ISIS's preferred name for itself, the Islamic State:

Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way. [Obama]