I was paying close attention to the British vote to leave the European Union.
The United Kingdom has become a second home for much of our families and loved ones who were displaced by the civil war in Somalia. After fleeing the civil war, they found refuge in the U.K. and discovered the life and hope of which they were deprived in their homeland.
While I respect the will of the people, I know one thing for sure: extremism won that day.
The entire notion of exiting the European Union was the work of the neoconservative right wing that seems to dominate the political arena in England and around the world.
These groups only serve their own agendas and pursue the politics of division and fear. They don't build, they destroy. They divide people and don't bring them together.
It is no surprise that one of those who applauded the result of the referendum was U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose politics are similarly based on division and hate.
Britain's right-wing party was eager to break Britain away from the EU, even if they had to fabricate facts and lie to the nation. Nigel Farage, the leader of the U.K. Independence Party, recently admitted on live TV that one of his referendum claims -- that money would be diverted to Britain's National Health Service upon a leave vote -- was false.
Political right-wing extremists pose an equal or greater danger when compared to religious extremists, but sadly the media doesn't focus on this growing wave of fanaticism as much it should. According to Newsweek, right-wing extremists are a greater threat to America than ISIS. But sadly, they fall under the radar there, too.
Right-wing groups have also been accused of being complicit in the murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox for creating a hostile environment filled with hate and division. Her killer, Thomas Mair, had right-wing ties and yelled "Britain first!" before pulling the trigger.
If there is one thing that has become clear from the result of the Brexit referendum, it is is that right-wing extremists are determined to occupy the political arena.
Those who have caved into the right-wing state of mind have betrayed the ideals of the late MP who sacrificed her life for the betterment of the country, helping the needy and working together instead of going alone. There is always goodness in coming together.
Building takes effort, sacrifice, dedication and time. It has taken a lot of effort for the United Kingdom to maintain its unity over the years -- but destruction can easily be accomplished overnight, as we have just witnessed in this referendum.
All the efforts and sacrifices of those who have built this unity have evaporated into thin air. As markets slid into free fall and the rest of the world responded with grief and sorrow, only Donald Trump was quick to celebrate the outcome of the referendum.
I wish the United Kingdom, its people and all the world peace and prosperity.
As for the rest of the world, I hope we all learn to never give into the same type of fear mongering that has divided Europe and England. Sadly, we are witnesses to extremism taking over much of our planet. It seems like only extremists are doing the talking from both sides of the fence, while the majority of us look on with bewilderment and confusion.
If there is one thing that has become clear from the result of the Brexit referendum, it is that right-wing extremists are determined to occupy the political arena by pursuing the politics of divide and conquer. These extremists have shown what they are capable of doing in pursuing such politics.
At a time of U.S. presidential hopefuls promising to build up a physical wall between the U.S. and Mexico, politicians in England have succeeded in building a wall overnight that, though invisible, is no less real. It is time for humanity to wake up to the danger posed by extremists of all types -- including those of all political stripes.
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