The newly-appointed U.S. National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster has said that he does not agree with using the term "radical Islamic terrorism," as the terrorists that perpetrate these attacks are perverting their religion, The New York Times reported Friday.

In his first meeting with NSC staff Thursday, McMaster said that terrorists are fundamentally "un-Islamic" and bear no relation to Islam, emphasizing that using the term was counterproductive.

McMaster's remarks came just one week after Trump appointed him, replacing Flynn who resigned after it was revealed that he held private discussions on sanctions with Russia's ambassador.

The term has long been regarded as controversial, seen as a way of stigmatizing the religion of Islam and labeling all Muslims, peaceful or not, as terrorists.

Peter R. Mansoor, a retired Army colonel who served with McMaster in Iraq during the 2007 surge of U.S. troops, had earlier said that McMaster "absolutely does not view Islam as the enemy," adding that in the war against extremism, McMaster believed in having "Muslim nations on our side."

McMaster's words express quite a contrast to the views of Trump and former national security adviser Flynn.

Trump has many times used the term "radical Islamic terrorism," both before and after the election. His executive order on blocking nationals from seven predominantly-Muslim countries from entering the country has also been heavily criticized as a "Muslim ban", and has sparked worldwide protests.

Flynn has also echoed Trump's views on extremists and terror, asserting that "Islamic extremism" posed an existential threat to the West and that the Muslim faith was the source of the problem.

However, McMaster doesn't seem to be afraid of voicing dissenting opinions, in fact he has quite a reputation for speaking truth to power. In his 1997 book, "Dereliction of Duty," McMaster leveled stinging criticisms at the U.S. military establishment for failures during the Vietnam War. His outspokenness almost derailed his career. As a colonel with an exceptional combat record he was passed over for promotion to brigadier general twice before Gen. David Petraeus intervened on his behalf.

General HR McMaster has also openly expressed that he sees the country as the primary threat to U.S. interests and global stability — another position not shared by Trump.