WASHINGTON, Sept 2: President George Bush’s description of the ‘war on terror’ as a ‘war against Islamic fascism’ was inaccurate and unhelpful, says the newly elected president of the largest Muslim group in North America.

Ingrid Mattson told reporters at the opening of the group’s 43rd annual convention that labelling terrorism as ‘Islamic’ only adds to misunderstanding of Islam.

She said terrorists misuse Islamic concepts and she rejects that. Last month, the US president said after the uncovering in Britain of a plot to blow up planes, that it was further proof ‘that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists’.

Ms Matson, who is currently an Islamic law scholar at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, is the first woman president of the Islamic Society of North America.

Ms Mattson said the ‘inaccurate and unhelpful’ rhetoric by President Bush and other Republican lawmakers hurts peaceful, law-abiding Muslims who are facing growing scrutiny even five years after the Sept 11 attacks.

“This is a term that has very bad resonance in the Muslim majority world and makes us feel uncomfortable, so we’re hoping there can be some adjustment to this language,” she said.

Ms Mattson said any harmful act carried out in the name of religion should simply be called ‘terrorism, crime or violence’.

Addressing the inaugural session, US Deputy Secretary of Defence Gordon England urged Muslims in America to speak up and have their moderate voices heard.

“This is not a time to be timid. Rather, this is a time to make your voices heard. Making your voices heard is important and necessary to defeat the terrorists’ distorted ideologies,” he said.

Mr England noted that no one in the audience asked him any questions about US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, or about Washington’s support for the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.