Complex sentence: The term "Islamic State" was objected by Muslim groups in Europe even before Ban Ki-moon's letter and according to the New York Times, applying "Un-Islamic Non-State" was signaling that a "semantic war" was to happen.
Split into simpler sentences: The term "Islamic State" was objected by Muslim groups in Europe even before Ban Ki-moon's letter. According to the New York Times, applying this term was signaling that a "semantic war" was to happen.