The Netherlands has a reputation as being the "bad boy" of Europe, its permissive society allows nearly every sort of licentiousness and immorality. This type of tolerance in society does not mesh well with the Islamic fundamentalism that is gaining strength there and around the globe. After WWII, Muslims from Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, flooded into Holland becoming 6 percent of the population. Of children under 14, Muslims make up a majority, and 30,000 new Muslims immigrate each year. This is a microcosm of what is happening in all of Western Europe, where 500,000 Muslims immigrate annually, mostly by illegal smuggling operations that run through Spain and Italy. The European Union allows free travel once the aliens are within its borders, and the total Muslim population has increased from 10 million to 20 million in only 10 years.
This cultural clash has been heating up in the last few weeks. On November 2nd, a documentary filmmaker and commentator, Theo Van Gogh, was brutally murdered by Islamic extremists who shot him, slit his throat, and used a knife to pin a pro-jihad manifesto to his chest. Van Gogh,who is a decendant of Vincent Van Gogh's brother (also named Theo), made documentaries exposing the violent Islamic treatment of women. Four policemen were injured by a grenade attack while trying to track down some of the men they believe to be responsible for the Van Gogh murder. The prime suspect is Muhammad Bouyeri, age 26, who has been linked to al-Qaeda. He and his friend Samir Azzouz have communicated with terror cells throughout Western Europe, their activities have been monitored by Dutch intelligence and their names are listed on the Dutch terrorist watch list.
Following the slaying, vigilante reprisals have taken place throughout the Netherlands. Mosques and Muslim schools have been attacked out of anger, and public schools and Christian churches have been attacked in retaliation. Radical Muslims have threatened several Dutch politicians, and two years ago they successfully gunned down Pim Fortuyn, a politician who had called for a stop to immigration.
A Muslim school that was bombed has ties to a mosque which hosted a 1999 Islamic seminar which was attended by Mohamed Atta and two other September 11th conspirators. It was also frequented by two Dutch Muslim youths who made a suicide attack in Kashmir in January of 2002.
The rise of Islam has caused the spread violence in Europe as well as other areas around the globe. While we do not intend to impugn peace-loving Muslims, it is important that we understand the origin, nature, and agenda of Islam. For more information see the links below.
