---

CBC, Canada
Nov. 2, 2005
www.cbc.ca

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 12702 • Posted: Thursday November 3, 2005  

---

Dutch politicians, religious leaders and the relatives and friends of slain filmmaker Theo van Gogh marked the first anniversary of his death in the Netherlands Wednesday.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende urged unity in a speech to the more than 400 people who gathered on the Amsterdam street where van Gogh was killed a year ago.

“We should not let ourselves be divided by a small group of people which writes its message in blood, a small group of people with a cynical message of terror that want to drive us to hatred,” Balkenende told the crowd.

“Threats and violence make deep wounds in society. They lead to anger and bitterness; that is understandable. But we must go on – together,” he said.

A number of tributes were left on the sidewalk in van Gogh’s memory: flowers, notes, stuffed animals and a cactus plant, apparently a reference to the prickly questions he asked in editorials, on talk shows and in his films.

The 47-year-old van Gogh – a controversial filmmaker and outspoken critic of Islam and immigration, who is also a distant relative of painter Vincent van Gogh – was shot and stabbed during the morning rush hour a year ago. Police arrested Mohammed Bouyeri, a dual Dutch-Moroccan citizen, later that day.

Van Gogh’s murder came three months after Dutch TV aired his film Submission, which criticized Islam of being tolerant of violence against women. After the broadcast, he and Somali-born Dutch politician Hirsi Ali, who wrote the script for Submission, received death threats.

Ali spent months in hiding after van Gogh’s murder, which shook the entire country, which is known for being tolerant and peaceful. There was a rash of attacks against Muslim buildings, followed by retaliatory assaults on Christian churches.

In July, an Amsterdam court found Bouyeri guilty of killing van Gogh. During the trial, Bouyeri waived his right to a defence, confessed and told the court he acted on religious conviction and added that, if released, he would kill again.

The court gave Bouyeri its harshest sentence – life imprisonment – and in August, he waived his right to an appeal.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Theo van Gogh Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Theo van Gogh Read Another Article Previous entry: Rebellion Against Abuse Next entry: Van Gogh’s Murder, a `Message in Blood,’ Divides Dutch People RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Theo van Gogh Most Popular Today I know the dark side of Scientology…I almost lost my friend when she became obsessed with it Church of Scientology told to drop Churchill images

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.