The negative symbiosis between Islamist and far right extremism
With the research emerging overnight that Jo Cox MP’s murderer Tommy Mair was a supporter of various extreme right wing groups and the three eyewitness accounts that he shouted “Britain first”, it is looking increasingly likely that this was an act of nationalist far right terrorism.
Quilliam condemns this repulsive act and remembers the wonderful life of Jo Cox, an MP, a mother of two, a tireless campaigner for refugees, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group ‘Friends of Syria’ and the former Head of Policy at Oxfam. Our thoughts are with her friends and family on this dark day for British politics.
The terrorist Tommy Mair was a long standing member of the neo nazi direct action group, the National Alliance and the pro apartheid group White Rhino before carrying out his act of terror yesterday.
We call on the media to treat this act as it would any act of suspected jihadist terrorism. We call on society to expose, isolate and challenge all extremist ideologies and narratives for what they are. And we call on states to continue tackling extremism of all kinds, with consistency and urgency.
Within a week of the jihadist terrorist attack in Orlando, we must remember the negative symbiosis between Islamist and far right extremism, and the atmosphere that both extremisms create which is conducive to terrorism of any kind. Social polarisation, intolerance and acts of violence are rising across the world and cannot be seen in isolation from the predominant extremist ideologies and narratives.
Quilliam’s Managing Director Haras Rafiq says:
“For many years now, Quilliam has been raising awareness about the negative symbiosis between Islamist extremism and Far-Right extremism. These two are set to rise if we do not consistently call out both. build bridges and more importantly – allow for difficult conversations.The Far-Right and Islamist extremism share the same characteristics and emotional triggers – the same pathways in and out of extremism.”
From all of us at Quilliam, we remember Jo and take inspiration from the bright horizon and vision of the future that she painted for us, free from the hate and extremism that threatens us all. And we call on our nation to unite to prevent such future tragedies.
I suppose I’m being a bit churlish with the complaint, but I get mildly annoyed with the continual references to her being a mother of two.
Of course it’s horrible two small children have lost their mother. It’s just, the way it’s said, it almost seems to me to be implying that it wouldn’t be quite so bad if she weren’t a mother of two. Like a woman’s greatest value is in bearing children.
Maybe I’m just oversensitive being one half of a childless couple. Still, I don’t think, if it had been a man, there would be quite so much listing of “father of two” amongst his accomplishments.
Since when is Islamism NOT a far-right ideology? It’s anti-feminist, anti-LGBT, anti-minority (within its own countries). It longs for an era long past (and which never truly existed as the current proponents believe), all based on a divine mandate.
Silentbob – I often get annoyed with that kind of thing, but not in this case. She did have two small kids and that does make it even more horrendous. It’s similar to the anonymous woman who had the lifesaving abortion at St Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, the abortion that caused the bishop to excommunicate a nun and send a letter to Catholic Healthcare West ordering them never to perform such an abortion again. She had four small children. I always mentioned that when talking about the subject because that did make the bishop’s brutality that much worse.
‘We call on the media to treat this act as it would any act of suspected jihadist terrorism. ‘
So far that’s been by rationalizing and blaming Western society for offending the Poor Widdle Dears. Its hard to tell from my viewpoint, but I think the media has been a BIT more willing to call out white fascists, neo-Confederates, Nazis etc.
I don’t want to be unfair to Quilliam based on the extracts above, they DO get to the point:
‘The Far-Right and Islamist extremism share the same characteristics and emotional triggers’
If the media and general public could grasp that Islamist extremism IS the ultimate ‘far right’ we’d be much better off.
John the Drunkard – Really? You think the media as a whole have been treating acts of suspected jihadist terrorism by rationalizing and blaming Western society for offending the Poor Widdle Dears???
Your point would have more force if you hadn’t started with that absurdity.
But I agree with Freemage and John the D that people should get over this confusion about Islamism, thinking it’s vaguely left-wing. It’s about as reactionary as it gets.
If the media and general public could grasp that Islamist extremism IS the ultimate ‘far right’ we’d be much better off.
Good Luck.