After reading last week that the city of Amsterdam just erected a sculpture next to the place where Theo Van Gogh was murdered, I decided to go online on Youtubedotcom and watch his film Submission. I just wanted to see for myself what could possibly be in the 10 minute film that could prompt someone to murder the filmmaker.
I must say that I am very shocked of what I saw online- but not because of his film. In fact, if you went to a film festival sponsored by your local art/film school, I assure you you would have seen things 10 times as shocking, provocative, blasphemous (usually of the anti-christian variety)- so Submission did not even raise even an eyebrow for me. What shocked me though were some of the comments that people posted (part of the interesting and addictive part of YT is reading the comments people have regarding a film clip). Some of the posters seemed to expressing joy that Van Gogh is dead and Hirst Ali must have a bodyguard everywhere she goes. This is I time where I hope these people posting these comments are just some immature trolls, because it is hard to believe a some persons really have such strong vitriol against someone who made some very short film clip. If those said comments were real, they ironically portray Islam in a far more negative light than the film does.
This all just makes me so sad. I should just stick to reading comments from TT. However much people disagree here, at least there is some common level of decency.
chi-town.
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Submission - a short film by Theo Van Gogh
I just watched it and was shocked
Well Jan Peter Balkenende, (the Dutch prime minister) has pulled a fast one on Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
Source LA Times
Article co- author's name "Salman Rushdie" ring any bells? Methinks he knows what the poor woman is going through.
QUOTE
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: abandoned to fanatics
The outspoken former Dutch legislator deserves the protection her country promised before she ran for parliament.
By Sam Harris and Salman Rushdie
October 9, 2007
As you read this, Ayaan Hirsi Ali sits in a safe house with armed men guarding her door. She is one of the most poised, intelligent and compassionate advocates of freedom of speech and conscience alive today, and for this she is despised in Muslim communities throughout the world. The details of her story bear repeating, as they illustrate how poorly equipped we are to deal with the threat of Muslim extremism in the West.
The outspoken former Dutch legislator deserves the protection her country promised before she ran for parliament.
By Sam Harris and Salman Rushdie
October 9, 2007
As you read this, Ayaan Hirsi Ali sits in a safe house with armed men guarding her door. She is one of the most poised, intelligent and compassionate advocates of freedom of speech and conscience alive today, and for this she is despised in Muslim communities throughout the world. The details of her story bear repeating, as they illustrate how poorly equipped we are to deal with the threat of Muslim extremism in the West.
QUOTE
In 2004, Hirsi Ali collaborated with Theo van Gogh on the film "Submission," which examined the link between Islamic law and the suffering of millions of women under Islam. The reaction from the Muslim community was nothing short of psychopathic, and it confirmed the necessity of Hirsi Ali's work and the reasonableness of her fears. Van Gogh, having declined bodyguards of his own, was gunned down and nearly decapitated on an Amsterdam street, and a letter threatening Hirsi Ali was staked to his chest with a butcher knife.
Source LA Times
Article co- author's name "Salman Rushdie" ring any bells? Methinks he knows what the poor woman is going through.
In his book, The End of Faith, Sam Harris discusses in detail how Miss Hirsi Ali has been treated by the Dutch government. As far as I know, she now works for a Think Tank in Washington DC but still lives under constant protection. Amazing that in 2007 the world still knows such fanaticism...and a hatred for women. It's sickening beyond comprehension.
Two things came to mind when I just saw this tread...
1. Since I posted my first comment, there was a segment on 60 Minutes showing how the internet is becoming a massive recruiting tool for jihadists. Many of these websites inspire people to join the cause by showing clips of explosions, jihadists shooting guns and artilery, beheadings, and last testament of suicide bombers (that one of that 7/7 bomber is very popular)- so basically mostly clips celebrating violence.
I am surprised of how many people get inspired by this cause just by seeing violent imagery. Anyone or I should anything can create violence and destroy- from the animal in the jungle to prehistoric man-apes in the caves. It requires more evolved creatures (and I hope these jihadists understand they in theory should be more evolved than apes) to do something like build and develop. Whatever happened inspiring a group of people by saying something like "you should join our group because we cured polio " or "we invented the space shuttle" - anything to celebrate real accomplishments. But I guess given the popularity of these websites, showing people behave like neanderthals is quite an effective tool.
I also would like to ask some of these jihadists who believe that Allah wants them to commit these acts of violence and to smite infidels one question... Is that type of god- a rather deified version of Ronnie Kray, Saddam Hussein, or Darth Vader- worthy of one's worship. What a sad thing to go through life thinking that your god is some violent, insecure, unstable thug.
2. JX and Saint pointed out basically that the Dutch government threw Hirst Ali under the bus. While no doubt true and quite a despicable thing to do, I'm afraid I might have to file that under the "While I don't condone, I do understand" cabinet.
The Dutch government has an obligation to protect its citizens. The dutch fear reprisals from jihadists over the Submission film. And that jihidists have proven in London, Madrid, and to Van Gogh that they are up to the task. Although I admire Hirst Ali, she is no doubt a political loose cannon and has been the source of much embarrassment to many prominent officials in the Netherlands. So the dutch government decided that for the good of the many, make Hirst Ali the "sacrificial lamb" and keep everyone else safe.
chi-town
1. Since I posted my first comment, there was a segment on 60 Minutes showing how the internet is becoming a massive recruiting tool for jihadists. Many of these websites inspire people to join the cause by showing clips of explosions, jihadists shooting guns and artilery, beheadings, and last testament of suicide bombers (that one of that 7/7 bomber is very popular)- so basically mostly clips celebrating violence.
I am surprised of how many people get inspired by this cause just by seeing violent imagery. Anyone or I should anything can create violence and destroy- from the animal in the jungle to prehistoric man-apes in the caves. It requires more evolved creatures (and I hope these jihadists understand they in theory should be more evolved than apes) to do something like build and develop. Whatever happened inspiring a group of people by saying something like "you should join our group because we cured polio " or "we invented the space shuttle" - anything to celebrate real accomplishments. But I guess given the popularity of these websites, showing people behave like neanderthals is quite an effective tool.
I also would like to ask some of these jihadists who believe that Allah wants them to commit these acts of violence and to smite infidels one question... Is that type of god- a rather deified version of Ronnie Kray, Saddam Hussein, or Darth Vader- worthy of one's worship. What a sad thing to go through life thinking that your god is some violent, insecure, unstable thug.
2. JX and Saint pointed out basically that the Dutch government threw Hirst Ali under the bus. While no doubt true and quite a despicable thing to do, I'm afraid I might have to file that under the "While I don't condone, I do understand" cabinet.
The Dutch government has an obligation to protect its citizens. The dutch fear reprisals from jihadists over the Submission film. And that jihidists have proven in London, Madrid, and to Van Gogh that they are up to the task. Although I admire Hirst Ali, she is no doubt a political loose cannon and has been the source of much embarrassment to many prominent officials in the Netherlands. So the dutch government decided that for the good of the many, make Hirst Ali the "sacrificial lamb" and keep everyone else safe.
chi-town
Hirst Ali is lucky that she did not lose her Dutch citizenship for lying about the circumstances that brought her to Holland when she first entered in (I believe) 1992 and received asylum. She had to resign from Parliament and was only permitted to keep her citizenship because she got a job at a US think tank (I think it is the Heritage Foundation)and thus required a passport to enter the US and get a visa to stay there. This may have had something to do with her being "thrown under the bus", as she obviously lost a lot of credibility. Under no circumstances are the threats directed at her justified, and nor would any violence against her be justified.
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