The young British politician who was murdered Thursday--apparently by a far-right nationalist fanatic--was an advocate for humanitarian assistance for refugees from Syria and elsewhere in the Muslim world.
Jo Cox, a newly-elected member of the British Parliament, set up a parliamentary group on Syria and held debates in the House of Commons about the plight of families fleeing the ongoing violence in Syria and elsewhere, according to The Independent.
In April, the 41-year-old mother of two spoke eloquently in support of a bill to resettle thousands of child refugees in the UK. In spite of her effort, the bill was rejected.
The shooting of Jo Cox the UK MP is tragic...she was a supporter fr Syrian refugees and against Brexit...Her brave stance will live forever.
— Andleeb Abbas (@AndleebAbbas) June 17, 2016
Additionally, after being elected last year, Cox used her first speech to Parliament to extol the benefits of having Muslims and other immigrants move to Britain. "We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us," she said at the time.
Jo Cox, speaking in the House of Commons on the need to help Syrian refugees in Aleppo. Rest in peace pic.twitter.com/iSfQ0TTBcR
— Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) June 16, 2016
Cox was murdered in a shooting and stabbing attack by Thomas Mair, 52, outside of a library in West Yorkshire where she was meeting with constituents.
The former aid worker had been campaigning for Britain to remain a part of the European Union (EU) ahead of an upcoming referendum on whether the nation would break away from the EU or remain a part of it.
Jo Cox was an avid supporter of Syrian refugees and many other causes. Here she is holding the Palestinian flag. pic.twitter.com/msdUl2dQ51
— Zab Mustefa (@ZabMustefa) June 16, 2016
Mair, who reportedly bought a gun-making manual and Nazi literature from a far-right neo-Nazi group before killing Cox, was heard to shout "Britain First!" during the murder.
These politicians paying tribiute to Jo Cox's work with Syrian refugees: how about providing sanctuary for the kids she fought so hard for.
— Sathnam Sanghera (@Sathnam) June 16, 2016
The slogan "Britain First" is associated with a nationalist, anti-immigration movement in the UK that wants the country to break away from the EU.
Over the past two years, Europe has been flooded with refugees fleeing civil strife and destructive proxy wars in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Far-right groups in France, Germany, the UK and elsewhere have seized on the refugee issue to promote nationalistic policies.
--HS
