The Command Post - Global War On Terror - Free Speech Activist "applauds" Van Gogh Murder

November 10, 2004

Free Speech Activist "applauds" Van Gogh Murder

Rohan Jayasekera, Associate Editor of the free speech advocacy magazine Index on Censorship, has called Theo Van Gogh's work "An abuse of his right to free speech" and urged readers to "applaud Theo van Gogh's death as the marvellous piece of theatre it was".

In Mr. Jayasekera's editorial (hat tip), he blames Van Gogh's death on the nature of Van Gogh's criticisms of Muslims.

Van Gogh's juvenile shock-horror art finally led him to build an exploitative working relationship with Somalia-born Dutch MP Ayann Hirsi Ali, whose terrible personal experience of abuse has driven her to a traumatizing loss of her Muslim faith.

[snip]

A sensational climax to a lifetime's public performance, stabbed and shot by a bearded fundamentalist, a message from the killer pinned by a dagger to his chest, Theo van Gogh became a martyr to free expression. His passing was marked by a magnificent barrage of noise as Amsterdam hit the streets to celebrate him in the way the man himself would have truly appreciated.

And what timing! Just as his long-awaited biographical film of Pim Fortuyn's life is ready to screen. Bravo, Theo! Bravo!

Posted by Jason Ramsey at November 10, 2004 09:41 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Rohan Jayasekera is not an obviously Dutch name.
The islamofascists and their apologists are swine, pure and simple. We should not be surprised at their uprooting long-nurtured flowers (responsible freedom of speech among them) or creating muddy and malodorous pig wallows. We shouldn't tolerate them either. Bacon and ham are a lot easier to have around than live porkers.

Posted by: TomTom at November 10, 2004 10:53 PM

An abuse of his right to free speech. Man, isn't THAT something coming from an anti-censorship advocate. What's next, NOW endorsing the burqua and demanding Islamic style oppression under pain of death?

What's it going to take to make some folks wake up? Are they so locked into opposing the status quo that ANYTHING which isn't of their culture looks much more desireable? (Operating on the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" theory, I guess...)

J.

Posted by: JLL3 at November 11, 2004 07:45 AM

Van Gogh's killer is listed as a Morroccan immigrant (or the son of). Forgive my ignorance, my memory gets worse as I get older, but what relationship does the Netherlands have with Morrocco. How did a Morroccan end up in the Netherlands.

Posted by: Davod at November 11, 2004 08:58 AM

You have to go to Amsterdam to appreciate how someone from Morroco got there. It is a great city, but it is basically the crossroads of Europe. Every ethnic group in the world is represented there. So it isn't that surprizing that someone from Morroco is there.

Posted by: BH57 at November 11, 2004 10:41 AM

Yes, I have been a cople of times in Amsterdam.

And I agree that it is bassically the crossroads
of Europe, and I would say that it is the crossroads of the World.

I like very much Amsterdam, an amazing city.

By the way, the Netherlands is crowded of muslim people. They have several milions from different north-african countries living there, including Morocco.

Posted by: VinoTinto at November 11, 2004 01:48 PM

Post a comment

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (Click here should you choose to sign out.)

As you post your comment, please mind our simple comment policy: we welcome all perspectives, but require that comments be both civil and respectful. We also ask that you avoid the extensive use of profanity, racist terms (neither of which we consider civil or respectful), and other boorish language.

We reserve the right to delete any comment, and to prohibit you from commenting on this site, if we feel you have broached this policy. As a courtesy, we will first send you an email noting a violation so you understand the boundaries. This will occur only once, however, and should we ban you from our comment forums we expect that ban to be permanent.

We also will frown upon those who suggest that we ban other individuals for voicing unpopular opinions, should those opinions be voiced in a civil and respectful manner. The point of our comment threads is to provide a forum for spirited though civil and respectful discourse � it is not to provide a forum in which everyone will agree with your point of view.

If you can live by these rules, welcome aboard. If not, then we�re sorry it didn�t work out, and thanks for visiting The Command Post.