Two Dutch churches were attacked by arsonists, apparently in retaliation for earlier attacks on mosques. An opinion poll on the day of the funeral showed that 40 per cent of Dutch people no longer considered Muslims welcome. A Muslim school in the southern Dutch village of Uden was burnt down last night. The attackers left a message referring to the murder. Van Gogh, whose last film, Submission, criticised the treatment of women under Islam, was cremated in a ceremony broadcast on large screens for the crowds outside an Amsterdam cemetery and live on national television. A sarcastic letter was read out to Van Gogh's killer, promising "we will do our very best to learn more about your beliefs to prevent further misunderstanding" and apologising that the killing "had to happen in the middle of Ramadan". At the funeral, crowds waved banners demanding: "Let's protect our freedom of speech" and "No to fundamentalism".
However, on Wednesday morning an explosion occurred during a police raid at a house which has led to the closure of the airspace over The Hague. Three Dutch police officers have been wounded during the raid which began early today, police said. Shots were fired as police conducted the operation on behalf of national prosecutors. Prosecutors would not confirm whether the raid was connected to an investigation in the alleged terrorist slaying of van Gogh on November 2. One unidentified neighbour told Dutch television that she heard a police negotiator tell an apparent suspect in the building to "come out, and no body will get hurt". But the suspect yelled back "I'll behead you, I'll behead you," she said.
| "Yar! I'll cut yer 'ead off!" |
Six suspects, believed to be members of a terrorist group, remain in custody, in connection with van Gogh's murder, including the alleged killer, Dutch-Moroccan Mohammed Bouyeri, 26. However, prosecutors have declined to comment on media reports that the authorities are hunting a Syrian they suspect of involvement in the Van Gogh murder, threats against a politician and for planning attacks on government buildings, according to Reuters news agency. |