Carmen Celestini, who is a fellow at the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism, said . . . more has to be done to better understand the allure of far-right and conspiracy theories and their ties to organized religion. She said governments should work to partner with researchers to contend with the phenomenon.
“Most of the public that’s engaging in these groups are wandering into these things,” she said. “What we need is more prevention.” She added where the public and governments have failed in the past is in their dismissal of these groups as operating on the fringes, and an assumption that their adherents are the “uneducated, unwashed masses.” Many of those who rioted in D.C., she noted, were white-collar professionals—doctors, lawyers, teachers, and small business owners.
Read the full article by Samantha Wright Allen and Beatrice Paez on The Hill Times. (Subscription required.)