Reuters: Jihadists are Islamists who employ extreme violence to further their stated aims usually including establishing a government based on Islamic principles, for example, al Qaeda. They embrace the global ideology of violent jihad, even if they remain only local actors, like Islamic State in its current guise.
“Jihadi” and “jihadist” are not “terms of abuse” but expressions that have specific meaning and are widely used in specialist academic literature and counterinsurgency circles. A number of Islamist groups, of course, actively embrace the term themselves.
By contrast “Islamists” are adherents of political Islam, i.e., they believe Islam should guide social, political and personal action but do not necessarily advocate violence. The leaders of some Muslim countries are now Islamists.
Even where Islamists support the use of violence to secure their goals, we should always use the terms “jihadi” and “jihadist” with caution and in context. We would not ordinarily refer to Hamas or Hezbollah as jihadist organisations, even though they sometimes use violence to pursue their goals, because they have a narrower focus. Should their political foes refer to them as jihadists, that is a different matter. But we should be clear that this is someone else’s opinion. If in doubt, always check with the relevant bureau, the appropriate editing desk or the regional editor.
AP: Arabic noun used to refer to the Islamic concept of the struggle to do good. In particular situations, that can include holy war, the meaning extremist Muslims commonly use. Use jihadi and jihadis. Do not use jihadist.
