Controversial Dutch Filmmaker Murdered

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -- A controversial Dutch filmmaker and newspaper columnist Theo van Gogh, who made a film about violence against women in Islamic societies, has been murdered in Amsterdam, police said.

Amsterdam police said Van Gogh had been stabbed and shot in the centre of the city Tuesday.

Van Gogh's short feature film "Submission" angered some Dutch Muslims for its portrayal of a Muslim woman who is abused by her husband.

Police said they arrested a man at the scene after an exchange of gunfire in which the suspect wounded a police officer. The suspect was wounded in his leg.

Some Dutch media said Van Gogh had been planning to make a film about anti-immigration populist Pim Fortuyn, who was gunned down by an animal rights activist in May 2002, days before his grass-roots party stormed to second place in a general election.

Van Gogh received death threats after "Submission" was broadcast earlier this year. He made the film with Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali refugee who won Dutch citizenship after fleeing an arranged marriage 12 years ago.

She has been under police protection after receiving death threats.

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Although I didn't personally really like him, what is the world coming to where even freedom of speech isn't possible anymore..

RIP Theo.

Aloha !

I don't care about him but the fact that someone like him is shot, he wasn't afraid to say what he thought, and now he's shot because of that. This will cause big discussions about the Muslims extremists...Lots of people will point their finger at the Muslim community while the Muslims will feel attacked again.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

very bad!! the one who killed him is really crazy, how can you do somethiong like that? Very strange!!
Not cool!!

And the discussions have already started... I was walking on the streets of The Hague earlier today and found a group of Dutchmen and Muslims / Maroccans in this heated debate... it was almost scary to walk past it.

It's one of those days again, that makes - me at least - nearly ashamed of being a Dutchman. I just watched some programme on tv. More and more people condemn the whole Muslim community of what happened today. It's really sad what happened, but the reactions of some people that come with it are equally sad - if not sadder...

I didn't like the guy either - but this shouldn't have happened. The Netherlands such a free country? My ass...

Oh, The Netherlands are very free - as long as you're dutch. Only the dutch are allowed to criticize their country, I'm afraid. Never have met such narrowminded people as the dutch.

I didn't like Theo van Gogh and I don't agree with what he said (most of the time) but it is so useless to kill a person because of his opinion! Especially someone who doesn't have any political influence at all! I just ignored the man and didn't listen to him. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion, even if it is a bad one. In what kind of world do we live in....? Let's hope he will get a loooooooooooong time in jail...