Posted on 11/11/2005 4:35:29 AM PST by FreedomPoster
LEIDEN, Netherlands -- As Prof. Afshin Ellian arrived at Leiden University law school one day recently, two bodyguards hustled him through the entrance and past the electronically locked doors leading to his office. For the rest of the day, the men stood sentry outside those doors, scanning the hallways for any sign of the people who want him dead.
Ellian is one of a soaring number of Dutch academics, lawmakers and other public figures who have been forced to accept 24-hour protection or go into hiding after receiving death threats from Islamic extremists. In a country with a tradition of robust public debate and an anything-goes culture, the fear of assassination has rattled society and forced people such as Ellian to reassess whether it's worth it to express opinions that could endanger their lives.
"The extremists are afraid that if Dutch society becomes a safe haven for an intellectual discussion of political Islam, it will be very dangerous for them," said Ellian, an Iranian-born professor of social cohesion who escaped to the Netherlands two decades ago from Afghanistan after receiving death threats from communists there. "This is normal behavior in the Middle East, but not in Europe. They think it's their obligation to kill people they consider to be enemies of Islam."
In other European countries and in the United States, Islamic extremists have generally sought to spread terror with indiscriminate attacks -- bombing trains and hijacking airliners. In the Netherlands, however, radicals have embraced a different strategy: singling out individuals for assassination.
The fear in the Netherlands erupted one year ago when Theo van Gogh, a filmmaker and renowned social provocateur,
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
"Dutch authorities acknowledged that they don't yet understand the roots of the problem."
HINT!: It starts with "I" and ends with "m".
Ping; you may want to ping one or more of your lists.
How many wake up calls does the world need?
Sounds like the professor needs a revolver...
bump
Islam versus Holland- Red Cresent Rising?
various FR links | 11-13-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1279355/posts
Thank you, sir.
The Dutch (and French) are reaping what they have sown.
They might be beginning to realize it, but I'm not betting on it.
I think the Dutch have, more than the French, which is why it's so much more violent.
Give it a little time, in France.
Add to that, Holland (and France) have a imperial past which is well remembered in their former colonies.
These people still remember Tours, let alone events of the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries.
Sounds like they need him in France. They have a department for this.
Whatever it is.
I don't think the assassination approach is unique to Holland -- didn't a Swedish or Swiss female politician get stabbed to death in a department store in the past couple of years?
Yes, that certainly rings a bell. Backhoe, do you have a thread going that might have a link on that? If you can suggest a thread, I'll dig through it.
I don't have a standalone post on it- that unfortunate woman's fate I well remember, and it is probably among the million links here:
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