The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) recently issued a memo to its staff setting forth a set of definitions for terms labeling the kinds of people the agency surveils. The memo was obtained by Canadian media under the country's access to information laws.

CSIS claims the set of definitions, titled "Standard Lexicon of CSIS Terminology," was created after two inquiries into the detention of Arab-Canadian men overseas. Those inquiries occurred in 2006 concerning Maher Arar and 2008 concerning Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin.

Among those definitions:

Terrorist: An individual who has or will engage in, assist, commit or conduct a politically, religiously or ideologically motivated act of serious violence against persons or property.

Extremist: An individual who holds an extreme belief or interpretation of an idea, ideology, cause or issue, who may incite others to hold similar views and/or advocates extreme measures, including the use of violence, to draw attention to or advance a desired goal.

Supporter: An individual who supports a particular organization, cause, issue, idea or ideology and who purposefully diverts or re-directs attention and or resources (ie. time, funds, propaganda, etc) towards this organization or cause.

Sympathizer: An individual who may be inclined to favour a particular organization, cause, issue, idea or ideology but who will not purposefully divert or re-direct attention and or resources (ie. time, funds, propaganda, etc) towards supporting this organization or cause.