Allah

in Arabic means the God

Allahu Akbar

"God is (the) greatest." A common exclamation in Arabic that is used in Islam in various ways: in prayer, as a declaration of faith, and during times of great joy or distress. In the West, the phrase is associated with Islamist terrorism

Caliphate (khlilafa)

an Islamic form of government in which political and religious leadership is united. This term literally means successor and came to refer to the successors of the Prophet Muhammad as the political leaders of the Muslim community

Domestic Violent Extremist (DVE)

an individual based and operating primarily within the United States or its territories without direction or inspiration from a foreign terrorist group or other foreign power who seeks to further political or social goals wholly or in part through unlawful acts of force or violence (a term synonymous with "domestic terrorist.")

Fatwa

formal Islamic religious rulings or opinions, issued by a qualified religious scholar with no expiration date; some extremists misuse this concept to issue religious justification for violence

Fedayeen

Arabic for "commandos"

Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)

a legal designation used by the U.S. Department of State for non-U.S.-based groups that are engaged in terrorism and threaten the security of U.S. nationals or U.S. national interests

Homegrown Violent Extremist (HVE)

a person of any citizenship who has lived and/or operated primarily in the United States or its territories who advocates, is engaged in, or is preparing to engage in ideologically motivated terrorist activities (including providing support to terrorism) in furtherance of political or social objectives promoted by a foreign terrorist organization but is acting independently of direction by a foreign terrorist organization

Ideology

a form of social or political philosophy, or a system of ideas, that aspires both to explain the world and to change it

Insurgency

an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a government or occupying power.

Islam

an Abrahamic monotheistic (worshipping one God) religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad

Jihad

means "struggle" and is a central idea in Islam. However, mainstream culture has used this term negatively and in terms of terrorism often refers to the crusade or "holy war."

Kafir (or infidel)

a derogatory term used by some religious extremists to refer to non-believers or those outside their faith, often used to justify violence

Lone Offender

an individual motivated by one or more violent extremist ideologies who, operating alone, supports or engages in acts of unlawful violence in furtherance of that ideology or ideologies that may involve influence from a larger terrorist organization or a foreign actor

Material Support

any aid (money, training, weapons, etc.) given to terrorist groups or activities

Militant

a person aggressively supporting a political or social cause, often favoring confrontational or violent methods.

Mufsid (moofsid)

this word refers to an evil or corrupt person; the plural is mufsidun. We call our enemies mufsidun, not jihadis

Muhammad

Muslims believe he was the final prophet sent by God to reveal their faith to mankind

Mujahid (plural mujahidin or mujahideen)

one who participates in jihad and frequently translated in the American media as "holy warrior." The use of this term designates the activity of the enemy as jihad and thus legitimizes it

Non-combatant

a person who is not engaged in fighting during a war, especially a civilian, chaplain, or medical practitioner.

Quran (Qur'an, Koran)

the main religious text of Islam and a translation of God's speech as revealed through Muhammad - similar to the Bible for Catholics

Radicalization

the process by which individuals come to adopt extreme views and potentially support terrorism

State sponsors of terrorism

countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. (Cuba, North Korea, Syria, Iran)

State-Sponsored Terrorism

when a government supports or engages in terrorist activities

Watchlist

a database of individuals suspected of terrorist activity or connections.

Allah

in Arabic means the God