Posted on 11/09/2004 3:57:09 PM PST by Trupolitik
Film-maker's funeral sparks violence From Anthony Browne in Amsterdam
RELIGIOUS violence flared yesterday as thousands turned out to line the streets at the funeral of Theo van Gogh, the murdered film-maker and vocal critic of Islam.
Two Dutch churches were attacked by arsonists, in seeming retaliation for earlier attacks on mosques, while an opinion poll showing that 40 per cent of Dutch people no longer considered Muslims welcome underlined a rapid deterioration of tolerance in the previously liberal Netherlands.
Mr van Gogh, whose last film, Submission, criticised the treatment of women under Islam, was cremated in an upbeat ceremony broadcast on large screens for the crowds outside an Amsterdam cemetery and live on national television.
A sarcastic letter was read out to Mr van Goghs killer, promising we will do our very best to learn more about your beliefs to prevent further misunderstanding and apologising that the killing had to happen in the middle of Ramadan. [/b]
Mr van Gogh, a distant relative of the painter Vincent van Gogh, was shot six times and nearly decapitated with a butchers knife in daylight as he cycled down a street in Amsterdam last week. A five-page letter declaring holy war and threatening death to the critics of Islam was pinned to his chest with a knife.
At the funeral, crowds waved banners demanding: Lets protect our freedom of speech and No to fundamentalism.
A woman wore a T-shirt with pictures of van Gogh and his friend, Pim Fortuyn, the assassinated politician who called for a halt to Islamic immigration, with the words The lords of the free word and asking: Who is next? She said: In the Second World War under Nazi occupation you were killed for speaking out, and now it is happening again.
Carel Mayer, an insurance manager, carried a sign which said: Silence is deadly. If you speak you will be killed. To be able to speak out is the most important thing.
He said: Van Gogh has died so other people have to speak up. People have to be able to say what they mean if we are to live together.
Hans Bethlehem, an associate of Mr van Gogh, said: All the problems were covered up for such a long time, they are now all bursting out.
Six alleged Islamic radicals are in custody in connection with the murder, including the alleged killer, Mohammed Bouyeri, 26, who holds Dutch and Moroccan passports.
All face charges of conspiracy to murder.
Since the murder, other politicians seen as enemies of Islam have been issued with death threats and two have been taken into police custody.
Over the weekend, several mosques were subjected to arson attacks and vandalism. One Islamic school had its front door blown off by a bomb.
Yesterday, two Protestant churches in Utrecht and Amersfoort had petrol bombs thrown at them, while a Middle Eastern radical Islamic group threatened reprisals if the mosque attacks continue.
The opinion poll also said that 90 per cent felt the Dutch were becoming less tolerant, and 47 per cent admitted they were less tolerant of Muslims.
Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch Prime Minister, said: The atmosphere that has arisen must disappear. It does not suit the Netherlands.
The opinion poll also said that 90 per cent felt the Dutch were becoming less tolerant, and 47 per cent admitted they were less tolerant of Muslims.
Anyone poll the Muslims to see whether they were more or less tolerant of the Dutch?
Are you paying attention, everybody in France? Germany? Spain? Britain?
So 90% of the Dutch are less tolerant? What about the other 10%? Are they tolerant of the Muslin murderers??? I've told lots of people to quit being bamboozled by the use of the words "tolerant" and "intolerant". They are really words without value unless a subject is attached to it. What exactly are we supposed to be tolerant of, anyway?
It looks like Pim Fortuyn would have a good chance of being elected at this point. Do they have any national elections coming up? At the least their government is going to need to take a hard turn to the right to deal with this.
"Let's Roll."
Put this in context with what happened in Belgium today. I'd put better than even money that within an amazingly short time we will again see Europe in a world war for its life, this time against the Muslims.
The stinking Islamofacists don't get it, we will crush them. They will try and take over the world and they will be eliminated.
Any Muslim who wants to save their religion should ACT NOW to sue for peace, six months from now may be too late.
"It looks like Pim Fortuyn would have a good chance of being elected at this point."
The man was cruising to victory when he was murdered, by an animal "rights" psycho.
IT BEGINS!
Actually, I didn't forese this happening so soon. I thought the Euros would just roll over and submit to their new Islamic masters, while chanting to themselves, "Tolerance Is Peace, Diversity Is Strength".
U are right this will happen over and over again until islam is destroyed. Every muslim country will have to be reduced to rubble!!
"The stinking Islamofacists don't get it, we will crush them. They will try and take over the world and they will be eliminated."
We had better begin adopting a policy much like Holland's if we hope to accomplish the eradication of the Islamo-Fascists. With all the liberties afforded to illegal aliens, it would be no problem for "terrorists" to enter our country through Mexico. Stop offering solace to illegal aliens and close our damn borders to everyone except those who go through LEGAL channels to gain admittance to our country!!!
I meant the Netherlands...
Refreshing to see that there are Europeans who are finally seeing the Islamic scourge for what it truly is.
If I remember correctly, Vincent van Gogh had a hearing
problem. Sounds like the Dutch are listening now.
Oh agreed, and let us pick and choose amoung them. No more "lottery" for admission to the US.
This is really the cause for the next few years. We must hold Bush's feet to the fire on this, because he thinks he's going to get a bye. And I love him, but he's misguided on this subject.
I've heard that this one is good: http://www.zachtei.nl/
- r.y.
Oh darn that's right. It totally forgot about that. Now the man looks like a prophet and I am sure there are others who will carry on his work. Unless of course they are all too afraid. I'm so glad I am not in Europe they will have a much harder time dealing with these issues. I think the reason they hate us is because they want us to make the same mistakes they have. There is a lot of big time denial going on over there. They many call names now but when things come to a boiling point they will have an almost the impossible task reversing this trend.
They're that color for a reason. The House of Orange are the ancient monarchs of the Netherlands. King William III of the Netherlands married Queen Anne and became co-monarch of England in 1688, deposing England's last Catholic monarch. This pleased Protestant Northern Ireland considerably, which is why they're the Orangemen.
I think he cut off one of his own ears. I think there is a joke in this somewhere.
Will the next Charles Martel be Dutch? We can hope.
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