RIP Theo van Gogh

[Alwin]

The Dutch filmmaker and criticaster of the multicultural society Theo van Gogh was brutally murdered (first stabbed, then shot) this morning at 8.45 am in Amsterdam. Islamic texts were attached to his body with the knife of the killer. Presumably, this was a reaction to his recent short film Submission, made in cooperation with mp Ayaan Hirshi Ali, addressing the miserable faith of many women in islamic countries. Theo van Gogh spoke his mind, Theo van Gogh raised many important issues, Theo van Gogh was murdered because of this. Rest in peace Theo.

The late Theo van Gogh in the middle on this photo.

 

[Alwin]

update: the presumed murdered has been caught by the police and is treated in the hospital for a shotwound at his leg - questioning will take place after this.

 

[toolsofthetrade]

some say he had it coming, as controversial as he'd write.
strange thing that he was killed while he was making a film about a killed dutch politician, Pim Fortuyn, who was found as controversial, and uttered some tricky things about islam as well.

not strange that people start to consider these killings islam-related.

every killing in the world of late seems to be religion based.

uke:

 

[Bambi]

so if you question the wrong things you should expect to be stabbed??
funny how cultures that have raised equality and civil liberties to the level of dogma only really want to grant rights to those that they approve of. Using religion as a scapegoat is only an excuse not to look into the real causes

 

[Alwin]

good point bambi

 

[Alwin]

update: the presumed killer is a 26 year old man with arab looks and is in the possession of a Dutch and a Marrocan passport

tonight at 19.30 hours there will be a memorial for Theo van Gogh at the Dam square in Amsterdam.

 

[toolsofthetrade]

so if you question the wrong things you should expect to be stabbed??
funny how cultures that have raised equality and civil liberties to the level of dogma only really want to grant rights to those that they approve of. Using religion as a scapegoat is only an excuse not to look into the real causes

but the real causes are religion based - ofcourse, what you say is true: religion is used as means or context to speak out, but is often also the cause why those issues have risen in the first place - doesnt living life according to a book narrow down your perspective? especially if you have strong sympathies for a society based on one book that doesnt line up with the society you live in?

society would be better off a great deal if religion is abolished from politics at the least. abolished totally, if you ask me.
not that democracy is such a fine system at least there was freedom of speech. now it's just anger and closed-mindedness.
i hope it'll go away again, and that it will be replaced with something that has hardly been around in our 'civilized' society: freedom.

 

[Will Bozarth]

damn, did Varg escape again?

 

[Alwin]

update: the suspect has connections with radical islamic groups, which were investigated by the Dutch secret service - however, the secret service claims there was no clue that this person would commit a violent act in the near future

the memorial gathering for Theo van Gogh at the Dam square last night remained without incidents - muslims, christians, non-believers, etc, together made a statement that this went too far: in this country you should be able to speak your mind!

 

[marginalé]

hmmm.. funny things on the news today..
at the memorialmeeting last night for TvG (or whatever it's called like)all people were saying that it's normal to have freedom of speech, but then later on there troubles with skinheads and they were arrested, nobody said a thing about that...

 

[Alwin]

that's right, in The Hague 32 skinheads were arrested - they were shouting anti-islamic texts - makes you wonder indeed how far freedom of speach goes in this country - Theo himself said pretty harsh stuff about the islam as well...

 

[toolsofthetrade]

there's a difference in being intellectually harsh and extremistly stupid.

 

[Alwin]

well, I think Theo van Gogh was balancing on the boundary between those two - the skinheads obviously not

 

[Bartje]

And you know what? it was shown all over CNN en Fox channel.
All those swinging voters who were not sure voting who, were looking at this maybe, saw another islam killing and thought,

Well here mister Bush here is my vote for you to sit on the throne of the world for four more years.

I wish Tommy Cooper was still with us today.

 

[Alwin]

haha, maybe Theo made a difference after all

 

[opethmaniac]

The bad thing is that it's once again a matter of religion...it seems he has been killed just coz he released something about women with musulms...I HATE THOSE FUCKING RELIGIONS...coz of them , you're not even allowed to say what you think anymore !! when i think that this bloody cunt of Bush has been re-elected "thanks to" gOD....it's amazing how some countries still have religion in their policies...incredible, really..

 

[toolsofthetrade]

The bad thing is that it's once again a matter of religion...it seems he has been killed just coz he released something about women with musulms...I HATE THOSE FUCKING RELIGIONS...coz of them , you're not even allowed to say what you think anymore !! when i think that this bloody cunt of Bush has been re-elected "thanks to" gOD....it's amazing how some countries still have religion in their policies...incredible, really..

http://mysite.verizon.net/richard.gardiner/annuitcoeptis.htm

 

[dead inside]

For God sake, why everything bad and evil is related to Muslims and Arabs.
I think one of those skinheads killed him and put that islamic texts on him, to release his hate toward muslims and arabs

 

[Bambi]

and what evidence do you base that?? that a muslim wouldnt ever murder someone? :Smug:

 

[breaklose]

The bad thing is that it's once again a matter of religion...

no its not - its matter of life conditions, of social and political unfairness, and cultural/identity crisis. if western countries hadnt put half the world down to slavery, then those misbehaving foreigners would happily work and stab each other in their home countries.