[Theo van Gogh and] "Education By Murder" in Holland

War to Mobilize Democracy ^ | November 16, 2004 | Daniel Pipes

[stevejackson]

Editor's note: Readers may also be interested in Holland: Portent of Things to Come? and Dutch Center-Right Coalition Stands up to Islamism.

"Education by murder" describes the slow and painful way people wake up to the problem of radical Islam. It took 3,000 deaths to wake up Americans, or at least to wake up the half of them who are conservative. Likewise, it took hundreds of deaths in the Bali explosion to semi-wake up Australians; it took the Madrid assault for Spaniards, and the Beslan atrocity for Russians. Twelve workers beheaded in Iraq awoke the Nepalese.

But it took just one death to wake up many Dutch. Indeed, one gruesome killing may have done more to arouse the Netherlands than September 11, 2001, did for Americans.

The reason for this lies in the identity of the victim and the nature of the crime. He was Theo van Gogh, 47, a well-known radical libertarian, a filmmaker, television producer, talk show host, newspaper columnist, and all-around mischief-maker who enjoyed the distinction of being a relative of one of Holland's most renowned artists, Vincent van Gogh. In recent years, Theo garnered attention by critiquing Islam (in a 2003 book Allah Knows Best and a 2004 film Submission).

He was murdered at 8:40 a.m. on November 2 in his hometown of Amsterdam while bicycling down a busy street to work. In the course of being shot repeatedly, Van Gogh beseeched his killer, "Don't do it. Don't do it. Have mercy. Have mercy!" Then the killer stabbed his chest with one knife and slit his throat with another, nearly decapitating van Gogh.

The presumed murderer, Mohammed Bouyeri, 26, a Dutch-born dual Moroccan-Dutch citizen, left a five-page note in both Arabic and Dutch attached to Van Gogh's body with a knife. In it he threatened jihad against the West in general, ("I surely know that you, Oh Europe, will be destroyed"), and specifically against five prominent Dutch political figures.

Police investigators quickly realized that the assassin was an Islamist whom they knew well and had been following until just two weeks earlier; they also placed him in the "Hofstadgroep" network and charged him and six of his associates with "conspiracy with a terrorist intent." The authorities additionally asserted that these had possible connections to the Takfir wa'l-Hijra and Al Qaeda terrorist groups.

That a non-Muslim critic of Islam was ritually murdered for artistically expressing his views was something without precedent, not just in Holland but anywhere in the West. Dutch revulsion at the deed shook the deep complacency of what is perhaps the world's most tolerant society. The immigration minister, Rita Verdonk, one of the five persons threatened, publicly rued the country's having long ignored the presence of radical Islam. "For too long we have said we had a multicultural society and everyone would simply find each other. We were too naïve in thinking people would exist in society together."

Jozias van Aartsen, parliamentary leader of the VVD party, went further, warning that "jihad has come to the Netherlands and a small group of jihadist terrorists is attacking the principles of our country. These people don't want to change our society, they want to destroy it."

One day after the murder, 20,000 demonstrators gathered to denounce the killing, and 30 people were arrested for inciting hatred against Muslims. The interior minister, Johan Remkes, announced that he could not rule out unrest. "The climate is seriously hardened." Proving him right, the next two weeks saw more than 20 arson and bombing attacks and counterattacks on mosques, churches, and other institutions, plus some major police raids, giving the country the feel of a small-scale civil war.

Dutch attitudes toward Muslims immediately and dramatically hardened.. A poll found 40% of the population wanting the nearly million-strong Muslim community no longer to feel at home in the Netherlands. Double that number endorsed more stringent policies toward immigrants.

De Telegraaf, a leading paper, published an editorial unimaginable before the van Gogh murder calling for "a very public crackdown on extremist Muslim fanatics." Even left-wing politicians woke up to the need to speak "harsh truths" about immigration, focusing on the disproportionate criminality of Muslims.

Islamist terrorism in the West is counterproductive because it awakens the sleeping masses; in brief, jihad provokes crusade. A more cunning Islamist enemy would advance its totalitarian agenda through Mafia-like intimidation, not brazen murders.

But if Islamists do continue with overt terrorism, the tough Dutch response will everywhere be replicated.

http://www.netwmd.com/articles/article787.html

[Spok]

The Germans have the answer for problems like this-put these people to WORK! Arbeit Macht Frei!

[Mears]

Good for the Dutch----when will our leaders toughen up and do something about our borders?

What is it going to take,a nuclear attack?

[Unam Sanctam]

The problem is the Madrid bombings didn't wake up the Spaniards or other Europeans, since they blame Bush and the Iraq war for that.

[Little Ray]

You're sick.

[eagle11]

I volunteer to serve as a merc for the Dutch people. I'm on my way...

[xJones]

Islamist terrorism in the West is counterproductive because it awakens the sleeping masses; in brief, jihad provokes crusade. A more cunning Islamist enemy would advance its totalitarian agenda through Mafia-like intimidation, not brazen murders.

It would be by far the wiser long-term course to stay quiet and keep breeding, particularly when living on the European host country's dole. But Wahhabi mulahs in particular, are fanatical and they can't seem to wait. They continually stir up the Muslim immigrant masses to their own detriment.

[Antoninus]

Dutch attitudes toward Muslims immediately and dramatically hardened.. A poll found 40% of the population wanting the nearly million-strong Muslim community no longer to feel at home in the Netherlands. Double that number endorsed more stringent policies toward immigrants.

I'll believe it when I see it. The Dutch are soft and decadent. If fighting starts, the 'slamikazis will create a blood-bath and most of the Dutchies will head for France where it's still (for the moment) relatively safe.

[joesnuffy]

They still haven't awakened to "radical" Islam...as they (the nation) will do nothing about their problem of any substance...they will put a band-aid on a decapitated head (redundant I know) and crow on about how they solved the problem or are making headway..the bought off sold out media will further enable the Muslim "reconquista.

It was "moderate" Islam they all fought to allow in....first the "nice ones" came in and got jobs and built homes and businesses....then they started taking over the govt with their proxies and bought and paid for indigenous 'friends'...then came the mosques and Islamic centers and summer camps...

Then came more mosques and more Islamic centers and more and more Muslims...

More petrol dollars greased their politicians traitorous palms....and pretty soon they were given protected status...minority status...they became the cops and judges and lawyers
and bought and sold their own politicians...

First came the Trojan Horse of 'moderate' Islam...the religion of peace even our leaders go on and on about...

Next comes the petrol dollars...oil for influence

Then the law is changed to favor them...

And once the police and courts are mediated by oil graft its all over...

That is when they pull off their masks and reveal their true natures...by then it's too late Holland has been reconquered without hardly a shot being fired...sold out by their own politicians...and oil money...and their own desire to be remembered as tolerant diverse liberals

imo

[Imaverygooddriver]

Yep. 3000 dead obviously wasn`t enough. More people died on 911 than died in Pearl Harbor, yet going to war with Japan was embraced while going to war with radical Islam is not. "Oh but Islam is a religion of peace!" Well look where peace got us. For eight years Clintoon licked their sandals and they did is attack us almost every freggin` year. And for all those who say we brought it upon ourselves for supporting Israel, I say we weren`t the ones who drew first blood. First blood was drawn by them when a radical Muslim named Sihan Sirhan killed one of our Presidential candidates, Robert Kennedy. They started all this, not us, and they`ve been starting over and over ever since. Now that we are finally trying to defend ourselves, liberals and toilets like France are screaming "How dare you". Well where is the "How dare you" for these Islamic mutts? I`m still waiting. Over 30 years putting up with these mutts, and they want us to keep taking it. Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!

[RedMonqey]

"What is it going to take,a nuclear attack?"




Yes 911 taught the liberals NOTHING and it;s gonna take a radioactive "boot" up their A$$ to get their attention. And guess WHO is the top five target cities. IMO


New York (3rd time's the charm)

Seattle

Washington DC

San Francisco

Los Angeles

My money is on Seattle

[Mears]

I know,I don't get it either. When I heard on the news earlier that Margaret Hassan had been murdered,I went nuts!

The press will make more of what the Marine did wrong by shooting the Iraqi than they will of another murder by these animals.

[js1138]

It is a mistake to assume that Islam will win simply by outbreeding everybody. Young people do not necessarily accept the fanaticism of their elders. There will be a tipping point in this war, but it will not be triggered by mere numbers.

[Aquinasfan]

The immigration minister, Rita Verdonk, one of the five persons threatened, publicly rued the country's having long ignored the presence of radical Islam. "For too long we have said we had a multicultural society and everyone would simply find each other. We were too naïve in thinking people would exist in society together."

How long until American immigration wakes up?

[thingumbob]

The five page note link says that the Group that the Moroccan who murdered van Gogh belonged was part of a group in Amsterdam that has Syrian ties and was lead by a Syrian that has disappeared.........

We really need to turn left after Iraq and pound these Syrian b@st@rds into dust!

[jan in Colorado]

ping

[Ken H]

The Dutch are soft and decadent. If fighting starts, the 'slamikazis will create a blood-bath and most of the Dutchies will head for France where it's still (for the moment) relatively safe.

More defeatist BS. What's the deal with slamming one of our allies in Iraq and the WOT?

[DTA]

>>>>>"I surely know that you, Oh Europe, will be destroyed"<<<

In 1999 Dutch people democratically decided to aid and abet Islamic terrorism in the Balkans. Dutch Royal Airforce acted as AL Qaeda Airforce and murdered Serbian civilians in terror bombing raids (Dutch F16s were the first to enter Serbian airspace ).

On the ground, Dutch media acted as terrorist outlet and spread Nazi-like propaganda against Serbs as a people. After the war, The Netherlands hosts illegal ICTY kangaroo court set up to promote Islamist goals of Islamic Bosnia and Islamic Kosovo.

Now The Dutch pretend to be innocent victims. How liberal.

They have only tasted their own medicine. More than 150 destroyed Christian churches in Kosovo , the result of Dutch intervention, is the preview of European comming attractions

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity was built in the 14th century on the Rusinica hill above Musutiste, 2 km to the south. In the valuable collection of manuscripts from 14 th to 18 th century there were a Book of Commemoration from 1465 and a hand-written Gospel from the 14 th century.

[lainde]

BTTT

[hotshellmans son]

I am a Yankee in Alaska, a Wolf is a beautiful unique animal. If you feel sorry for the wolf and let him in your yard he will eat your dog. These terrorist’s do not belong in your yard or your cities. You must gut shoot these bastards so the pack stays away from a civil society. Right-on Dutch, I have respect for you. Kick their freaking ass.