How absolutely, depressingly fitting — and neither shocking nor any less tragic for its familiarity — that on the day Americans are expressing their political opinions in the collective polling booth, that a Dutch filmmaker was murdered for creating a film critical of Islam:
- Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, who made a controversial film about Islamic culture, has been stabbed and shot dead in Amsterdam, Dutch police say.
Police arrested a man in a nearby park after an exchange of gunfire. The man, aged 26, had joint Dutch and Moroccan nationality, they said.
Van Gogh, 47, had received death threats after his film Submission was shown on Dutch TV.
It portrayed violence against women in Islamic societies.
The film was made with liberal Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali refugee who fled an arranged marriage.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been under police protection since the film was aired. She has also received death threats and has renounced the Islamic faith.
....Eyewitnesses quoted by Radio Netherlands said Van Gogh was attacked while cycling by a man dressed in a traditional Moroccan jallaba.
....The film Submission told the story of a Muslim woman forced into an arranged marriage who is abused by her husband and raped by her uncle. It triggered an outcry from Dutch Muslims.
In one scene the film showed an actress in see-through garments with Koranic script written on her body, which also bore whip marks.
The Netherlands is home to nearly one million Muslims or 5.5% of the population.
One of the film maker's colleagues at the film production company said Van Gogh had received death threats "but he never took them quite seriously". [BBC]
A note was found at the scene and, Dutch media said, it contained lines from the Koran. Van Gogh was the great-grandnephew of Vincent.
Reuters has more:
- Van Gogh, who branded imams women-haters and ridiculed the Prophet Mohammad in his newspaper columns, was hailed as a champion of free speech by some Dutch but others called him an extremist, while Muslims said they found his work insulting.
....Several thousand people demonstrated on Amsterdam's central Dam square and railway drivers were urged to honk their horns to protest the murder.
People banged on drums, pots and pans and blew whistles for some 15 minutes, with some participants holding up signs saying "Muslims against Violence."
Article comments
1 - bernard
I was at work this morning when a colleague walked up to me and said: "somebody shot van Gogh". In my mind I am trying, as yet unsuccesfully, to come to grips with the reality of this monstrous act. He actually use the term the prophet's pimp, not Allah's pimp, if it makes any difference at all.
Van Gogh was an artist, a filmmaker and collumnist who spent his energy defending freedom of speach and pleading for a world without fanatism.
Allthough his tone and his statements often crossed my personal limits of acceptability. I will dearly miss these breaches of my sensibilities.
Let's keep politics out of this. The world lost a good man today.
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks Bernard, I appreciate the insight, I knew nothign of him. But how can we truly keep politics out of it when it was politics, fanatical politics, that apparently killed him.
3 - bernard
It was a fanatical idiot that killed him. Not a party, not a regime. Maybe a terrorist, certainly a criminal. If we accept murder as a political statement, what does that lead to?
If he turns out to be part of an organisation, which is not known at this time. I will view it as a criminal organisation, not as a political one. What I mean to say is that this, for me at least, is not the time to debate the cultural questions underlying this. I need more facts, and more time.
Also, making it a debate about the fanatical side of Islam seems to do no justice to the personal side of it.
But maybe a serious debate, without the anger and meanness many of these discussions tend to degenerate into would be a good thing to come out of it. If anything good can come from murder.
by the way, no official sources have revealed what was on the note that was left. If the media said anything about it, they are likely speculating. probably not groundless speculation though.
4 - Eric Olsen
Okay, I have no disagreement with that at all - it's time to focus on the personal. Perhaps I have been insensitive because I didn't know of Van Gogh prior to this evil news - my apologies
5 - RJ
Imagine what it will be like in the US after Muslims make up 5.5% of the population...
6 - bernard
There is no need for apologies. You did nothing wrong whatsoever. I was venting some of my own shock and maybe trying to get rid of that slightly sick feeling in my stomach. Your post is both informative and interesting, thanks.
7 - Eric Olsen
thanks, much appreciated - also, it's disappointing tha tAmazon only has one of his films
8 - bernard
I think only one of them has seen an english version. Do you speak dutch?
9 - Eric Olsen
languages are the great failing of my education: English (more or less), a little Spanish, a little Japanese, and that's about it
10 - bernard
Japanese (even a little) is impressive enough for me.
11 - sadi
thanks for blogging this Eric. I read this with horror yesterday and had seen the story on Reuters ansd was planning on doing a piece - you beat me to it and did a fantastic job with all of the good sources on this. This is a real loss, and horrific. Hardly a way to win votes for any cause, if you ask me. This is senseless, brutal and proves nothing. I hate this kind of shit and anyone who would defend this --
thx. for a great story, however sad. Van Gogh certainly deserved the mention and you made a good and thorough story.
I am personally grateful, and no doubt, many others are as well.
Cheers, and thanks again for this piece.
Sadi
12 - tzar
this is a sad story for the fundamentals of western democracy and one of its main pillars: freedom of speech...
With this story and another 4 years of Bush, the World does not look any brighter and we are further from mutual tolerance then we can imagine...
:'(
13 - Eric Olsen
please see update here
14 - Nik
Where can Van Gogh's movie "Submission" be purchased? I know it was 10 minutes long, in English, last aired in Holland this past August, and there was talk of it originally becomming a three part installment and being sold to Al-Jiz TV...Anyone know where it can be bought [on DVD]?
Finally, my deepest condolences to all Dutch people--you have lost more than a great artist--you have lost a national treasure--Theo Van Gogh will not be forgotten.
15 - Eric Olsen
Nik, it may be available somewhere on his website, although since I don't read Dutch it's very hard for me to tell.
16 - jon
My simple comment: To hell with ignorant backward, pedophile worshipers.
Abusing women is not a crime, but exposing it to the public is.
If these fanatical idiots dont like the dutch culture, and refuse to integrate, then send them back home where they'll feel more at ease.
I dont have ill feelings to moderates of any religion, but fundamentalist are the worst the human race has to offer.
Our own Christian extreamist cause plenty of problems over here in the States.
I wish to express my outrage and sorrow to the Dutch people.