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by 7952 3246 days ago
In Oxford a lot of things are named after "Isis". Isis is the local name for the River Thames, presumably named after the Egyptian Godess. We should not change that name, just because it is used by a terorist group. But it would be a bit distasteful to use it as a new name. Especially if you use it intentionally with the intent of causing offence. Nuance matters.
2 comments
JadeNB 3246 days ago
Poor Softcard, née Isis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softcard).

> But it would be a bit distasteful to use it as a new name. Especially if you use it intentionally with the intent of causing offence.

I think that your second sentence is an important qualification. I almost wished that they'd stuck with the name, just to emphasise that a bunch of terrorist asshats don't get to dictate what words others can use; I think that such a useage would have been (very mildly) heroic rather than offensive.

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zimpenfish 3246 days ago
The new (~2014?) English Language school in Greenwich was called ISIS. Up until ~2016, anyway. Huge big flashy signs it had, too.

(I like to imagine all the children telling their parents they were going to London to "study with ISIS" causing huge parental conniptions until the penny dropped.)

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