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Europe
The murder that shattered Holland's liberal dream
2004-11-09
The future, Samir believes, is grim. 'We are hated now,' the teenager said, leaning over the handlebars of his bicycle. 'Whatever we do will be wrong, everything we say will be wrong, everywhere we go will be wrong.' Samir was born in the Netherlands but is of Moroccan descent. He does not pray or go to a mosque, but says he is proud to be a Muslim and proud to be Dutch.
Oh, yeah? Lemme see your wooden shoes!
He is not alone in his fear and confusion. This weekend the nation known for its relaxed tolerance is gripped by tension, anger and insecurity. An outspoken film-maker, Theo van Gogh, was shot dead by a 26-year-old Dutch-born Muslim last Tuesday. Since then a series of public figures have been threatened with death by Islamic extremists. The murder has catalysed a steady erosion of the Dutch tradition of moderation and self-censorship on race and religion. Even politicians on the left spoke last week of 'harsh truths' on immigration, noting that 5 per cent of the population is now Muslim and saying 'foreigners' top the lists of criminality and truancy.
Just being nice doesn't work, does it?
One web-based book of condolences for van Gogh had to be shut down because of racist abuse. As he spoke, Samir waved towards the grim housing estate on the outskirts of Amsterdam where van Gogh's alleged killer lived. 'I don't know what happens now, but it isn't going to be good,' he said. Van Gogh's murder was apparently sparked by a documentary he made earlier this year with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born woman politician who calls herself 'an ex-Muslim'. The provocative film, broadcast on national television, featured quotes from the Koran, which Muslims believe is the word of God, projected on to a naked female body with a commentary composed of the testimonies of abused Muslim women. Van Gogh, a descendant of the artist Vincent van Gogh, was shot and then stabbed with a knife left pinning two notes to his body. Police say that one of them was a five-page letter accusing Hirsi Ali, who fled to the Netherlands to escape a forced marriage, of 'terrorising Muslims and Islam'.
Whose head did she cut off?
Posted by:tipper

#14  Ali, 34, is now protected by special police bodyguards, as is a second member of the Dutch parliament, a maverick rightwinger, who has also been critical of Islam. ’I feel guilty... and very much afraid,’ Ali told a Dutch newspaper after the killing. The second note indicated that the alleged murderer, known as Mohammed B, expected to be shot dead by police. ’This is my last word, bored through by bullets, anointed in blood as I hoped,’ it reads.



The former is a call for hatred towards America, the latter is the natural desire for greatness that everyone aspires to. If you object to other nations or continents wanting to be The Best, that's your own problem and your own hostility.
Posted by: A nuanced view   2004-11-09 6:21:50 PM  

#13  That's a lovely Lensman reference, there. Rantburg is the site for cynics. (Realists, too, I guess.)
Posted by: Toastchee   2004-11-09 4:47:01 PM  

#12  [Van Gogh's last] film implies that the Dutch security services allowed Fortuyn to die, under pressure from American businesses anxious to conclude an arms deal that he opposed.

Holland and Europe's problem goes beyond their muslims. Clearly, there is a form of decadence afflicting their cultural and political classes that's inclined toward all manner of idiotic conspiracy theories. Pretty hard to unite your fellow citizens when you too believe in yankee zionist capitalist conspiracies.
Posted by: lex   2004-11-09 3:37:01 PM  

#11  Can we trade our lefties for their
conservatives?
Posted by: Brutus   2004-11-09 3:27:34 PM  

#10   The question is will the rest of Europe "get it" or feign taking the higher ground and chastise the impending (yet weak) changes will flow down the Dutch pipe.

Angie >> Well, it was either us or the Jooos, and they do have a Jewish Mayor. (SMILE)

"AMERICA! Less liked than the Jews!" Must be a first from the Euro point of view.
Posted by: 98zulu   2004-11-09 1:00:55 PM  

#9  I think a bigger candlelight vigil, I mean a really big honker of symbolism is in order. We could reenforce them from the left coast with stiltmen, puppets and perhaps even a light pink tank squandron.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-11-09 11:47:28 AM  

#8  DG: What is an emigration request? Do you need permission from the Dutch state in order to emigrate to another country?
Posted by: Classical_Liberal   2004-11-09 11:44:16 AM  

#7  Ã¢Â€Â™This could not have come at a worse time’

As there numbers are not yet at critical mass. Better get busy Dutchies.
Posted by: Lucky   2004-11-09 11:41:18 AM  

#6  The future looks grim, never the less Samir doesn't have to worry to much as the demographic developments are in his favour. A large number of Dutch will leave the city areas and even go abroad. The number of emigration requests has risen big time in the last week. Let's see what will win sharia or democracy.....
Posted by: Dutchgeek   2004-11-09 11:20:17 AM  

#5  None of you guys read down this far?:

[Van Gogh's latest] film implies that the Dutch security services allowed Fortuyn to die, under pressure from American businesses anxious to conclude an arms deal that he opposed.

That's it! We'll blame the Americans! OK, now we're back in familiar territory, and all is well. Here's a viewpoint everyone can agree on! Whew!
Posted by: Angie Schultz   2004-11-09 11:11:31 AM  

#4  The future, Samir believes, is grim. ’We are hated now,’ the teenager said, leaning over the handlebars of his bicycle. ’Whatever we do will be wrong, everything we say will be wrong, everywhere we go will be wrong.’

It all depends on just what Samir has in mind. If al he's going to do is remain silent, unwilling to go on the record as being opposed to Muslim extremism, then his fears are going to be realized.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-11-09 11:09:06 AM  

#3  The Dutch really have been paying attention.

That is good, there's hope.

As to the different wind blowing, give them up, assimilate and contribute.

Worse time, damn, we were so close.
Posted by: anonymous2u   2004-11-09 11:05:13 AM  

#2  It wil be interesting to se the effect the release of his film has on the discusion.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-11-09 10:48:06 AM  

#1  Observe what happens when progressive liberals get pushed to far. They snap and become the fascists they love to claim everyone else is. One of my biggest fears was that we would do nothing after 9/11 because of the liberal delusion. Then things would get really bad and after a few more major attacks the libs would snap and we'd go on a genocidal killing spree.

Liberals are guided by emotion, not logic, mostly. I remember right after 9/11 many of my liberal friends wanted to kill all muslims and arabs... didn't last long (only as long as they were afraid) but just shows their mindset.
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American   2004-11-09 10:28:14 AM  

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