Young Palestinian Muslim woman shopping in the public Arab Market in the Old City of Jerusalem. Peter Hagyo-Kovacs/Wiki Commons

Much has been written recently (including posts on this blog) about the name ISIS, and how unfortunate it is that the girl’s name — that of the Egyptian goddess of children and motherhood — has been hijacked by the world’s newest and most frightening embodiment of organized terror. This linguistic tainting is a small reflection of how the reputation and understanding of a historical, peaceful global religion has been tarnished by the horrific deeds of a small extremist group of its believers. In this sad climate of deepening and shameful prejudice against Islam, Glossophilia is honoring its beauty by taking a glimpse at some of its poetic language. Continue reading →