Intelligence Officials Create ‘Guideline’ for Speaking About China, Islam

A newsletter distributed to Intelligence Community (IC) officials discussed “language guidelines for how we talk about the People’s Republic of China.”

“This work is paving the way for other groups to change language style guides and shift our work culture to talk, write, and think about foreign governments and entities in a way that is more nuanced and rooted in evidence,” the newsletter’s editor-in-chief wrote.

One of the newsletter’s articles focused on “disentangling Islam from words and phrases used to discuss terrorism and extremist violence.”

Some of the “problematic phrases” surrounding Islam include “Salafi-Jihadist,” “Jihadist,” “Islamic-Extremist,” “Sunni/Shia-Extremism,” and “Radical Islamists.” Such terminology “incorrectly suggest that Islamic beliefs somehow condone the actions and rhetoric espoused by these foreign terrorist organizations,” the article read.

In another article titled “Linguistics Diversity: A Reflection of Who We Are,” the author called for the removal of the terms, “blacklisted,” “cakewalk,” brown bag,” “grandfathered” and “sanity check.”

“Blacklisted” is a negative term because it “implies black is bad and white is good,” whereas “sanity check” is a poor term because it suggests those with “mental illness are inferior, wrong, or incorrect.”

“Cakewalk,” “brown bag,” and “grandfathered” should not be used, according to the article, because they are racist terms.

One article also relayed an anonymous individual’s experience as a cross-dressing intelligence officer.

“I am an intelligence officer, and I am a man who likes to wear women’s clothes sometimes,” the individual wrote. “I think my experiences as someone who crossdresses have sharpened the skills I use as an intelligence officer.” The author specifically cited “critical thinking” and “perspective-taking” as “sharpened” skills.

Because of his cross-dressing, the article notes, the intelligence officer is better at “understanding foreign actors,” “understanding clandestine assets and their motivations,” more supportive of his female colleagues, and is “hopefully supporting” his colleagues identifying as LGBTQ.

The push for “inclusive” language and experience echoes a 2021 executive order where Biden promoted “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.”

“As the Nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government must be a model for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect,” the executive order read. “Accordingly, the Federal Government must strengthen its ability to recruit, hire, develop, promote, and retain our Nation’s talent and remove barriers to equal opportunity. It must also provide resources and opportunities to strengthen and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the Federal Government.”