That bit of history is generally where the misuse of the term entered the western world.
The issued fatwa was an interpretation of law that concluded his assassination was legal and even expected punishment under the law. But the phrase then came to be used in the west when Islamic religious law prompted anyone to take an illegal/extremist action in the west.
It would be like a southern baptist pastor calling for a lynching or the electric chair on moral grounds.
The issue is taking a broad concept and making it mean a very specific one instead.
(Please note I am an atheist that lived for years in a “Muslim country”. I don’t actually agree with any of the below, but understanding what words are intended to mean is important when you are surrounded by their use in 2 different contexts).
Fatwa: a Sharia law ruling by an imam
Fatwa (western): a ruling by an imam that a person is not protected by the law and therefore a target for assassination
Hijab: men and women of Islam should maintain a sense of visual propriety in order to avoid devaluing what can be seen in private.
Hijab (western): that cloth Islamic women wear on their head.
Jihad: the righteous struggles that each human faces to choose a difficult path for good reasons.
Jihad (western): a holy war of aggression against infidels
Some reference material: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabbing_of_Salman_Rushdie
That bit of history is generally where the misuse of the term entered the western world.
The issued fatwa was an interpretation of law that concluded his assassination was legal and even expected punishment under the law. But the phrase then came to be used in the west when Islamic religious law prompted anyone to take an illegal/extremist action in the west.
It would be like a southern baptist pastor calling for a lynching or the electric chair on moral grounds.
It seems likely that the person who told OP meant it in the misused way, which makes the intent to intimidate clear.
Could you explain why you think that is misuse of the word?
The issue is taking a broad concept and making it mean a very specific one instead.
(Please note I am an atheist that lived for years in a “Muslim country”. I don’t actually agree with any of the below, but understanding what words are intended to mean is important when you are surrounded by their use in 2 different contexts).
Fatwa: a Sharia law ruling by an imam
Fatwa (western): a ruling by an imam that a person is not protected by the law and therefore a target for assassination
Hijab: men and women of Islam should maintain a sense of visual propriety in order to avoid devaluing what can be seen in private.
Hijab (western): that cloth Islamic women wear on their head.
Jihad: the righteous struggles that each human faces to choose a difficult path for good reasons.
Jihad (western): a holy war of aggression against infidels