Isis Name Wars: 'Don't Call it Islamic State' Says France

France's foreign minister has joined a fight against the use of the name Islamic State (IS) to refer to jihadists responsible for atrocities Iraq and Syria.

Laurent Fabius told lawmakers in Paris that although the Islamist group has seized large swathes of land, it cannot be considered as a proper state nor it represents Islam as a religion.

"The terrorist group in question is not a state and is making it a gift to call it a state," Fabius said. "Similarly, I recommend not to use the term 'Islamic' because it creates confusion between Islam, Islamist and Muslim."

The minister said people should use the Arabic name of the group, Daesh, which is the acronym in for its full former name, al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi Iraq wa al-Sham that translates as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis or Isil). Daesh acceptation is considered derogatory in the Arab world.

"I, for my part, will call them Daesh butchers," he said. "Because these people have raped, crucified, murdered and we shall all mobilise to push back, neutralise and finally get rid of them."

Fabius added France is ready to join a US led coalition against IS and participate "in military air action".

In August, Dar al-Ifta, an influential Islamic institution in Egypt argued IS should be called another name to underscore its extremist ideology was not shared by the mainstream Muslim world.

"What the western world calls the 'Islamic State' is in no way related to Islam," Dar al-Ifta said, The Guardian reported.

Differently from Fabius, the religious institution came up with a completely new acronym for IS: QSIS, which stands for al-Qaida Separatists in Iraq and Syria.

Isis renamed itself the Islamic State as it declared an Islamic "caliphate" earlier this year after conquering large parts of Iraq.

The move was announced by its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who proclaimed himself Caliph of the Muslim world and called upon Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance to his rule and to move to the region to join fighting.