Saturday, November 13, 2004
Simon Wiesenthal Center Protests Assassination in Holland
From: "Simon Wiesenthal Center"
To: simshalom@att.net
Subject: SWC: Holland Must Act Now To Stop Extremism
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 02:24:10
Simon Wiesenthal Center
1399 South Roxbury, Los Angeles, California 90035
310-553-9036
http://www.wiesenthal.com/
Issues the following statement:
"HOLLAND MUST ACT NOW TO STOP EXTREMISM:
The brutal killing last week of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh who was stabbed to death in Amsterdam while cycling to work shocked the world. Moreover, a five-page letter pinned to Van Gogh's body with a knife included antisemitic rhetoric reminiscent of Nazi propaganda and threats against Amsterdam's Jewish Mayor Job Cohen and other Jewish personalities.
Prosecutors believe the killer was an Islamic radical Dutch-Moroccan who was part of a terrorist group with international links. As a result, Dutch authorities are treating the killing as a terrorist act. The murderer attended the Al Tawheed mosque, long considered a hotbed of extremism whose Imam refers to Christians and Jews as "kindling for hell fire." As in many Western European countries, Jews in recent years have often been the first targets of extremists' rhetoric and hate crimes whose openly espoused goal is a European Continent governed by Islamic rule. In addition, there is scant sympathy for Israel's struggle against Palestinian terrorism, and as a result chants like "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas," have gone unchallenged at Dutch football (soccer) matches.
In recent years, authorities have been aware that some Dutch Muslims, primarily from Morocco have become adherents of radical Islamic ideology. The extremist agenda has been promoted by Imams who immigrated to Holland and via websites that celebrate the likes of Osama Bin Laden.
In view of these tragic and troubling developments, we are asking our supporters to join the Simon Wiesenthal Center in urging Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, (pictured right) who is also currently serving as President of the European Union, to take specific measures to stem the rise of Islamist extremism by doing background checks on any religious leader from abroad seeking entry into Holland, to track extremist websites and to deport any so-called religious leader who promotes hatred and terrorism against any group in Holland.
Tragically, the execution of Theo van Gogh and the Nazi-like rhetoric in the letter pinned to his body fits into a larger pattern of emerging Islamist rhetoric that is surfacing across the globe from Holland to Canada. The challenge before all freedom-loving people residing in democracies is the need for society to protect individual freedoms while simultaneously protecting the safety and security of its citizens – European nations, including Holland, must meet this challenge head on!"
Send inquiries to: information@wiesenthal.net
Or send mail to: Simon Wiesenthal Center
1399 South Roxbury, Los Angeles, California 90035
310-553-9036
http://www.wiesenthal.com
This e-mail was sponsored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center,
an international organization with 400,000 members,
promoting tolerance and combating antisemitism worldwide.
LOS ANGELES . NEW YORK . PARIS . BUENOS AIRES
JERUSALEM . MIAMI . PALM BEACH . TORONTO
To: simshalom@att.net
Subject: SWC: Holland Must Act Now To Stop Extremism
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 02:24:10
Simon Wiesenthal Center
1399 South Roxbury, Los Angeles, California 90035
310-553-9036
http://www.wiesenthal.com/
Issues the following statement:
"HOLLAND MUST ACT NOW TO STOP EXTREMISM:
The brutal killing last week of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh who was stabbed to death in Amsterdam while cycling to work shocked the world. Moreover, a five-page letter pinned to Van Gogh's body with a knife included antisemitic rhetoric reminiscent of Nazi propaganda and threats against Amsterdam's Jewish Mayor Job Cohen and other Jewish personalities.
Prosecutors believe the killer was an Islamic radical Dutch-Moroccan who was part of a terrorist group with international links. As a result, Dutch authorities are treating the killing as a terrorist act. The murderer attended the Al Tawheed mosque, long considered a hotbed of extremism whose Imam refers to Christians and Jews as "kindling for hell fire." As in many Western European countries, Jews in recent years have often been the first targets of extremists' rhetoric and hate crimes whose openly espoused goal is a European Continent governed by Islamic rule. In addition, there is scant sympathy for Israel's struggle against Palestinian terrorism, and as a result chants like "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas," have gone unchallenged at Dutch football (soccer) matches.
In recent years, authorities have been aware that some Dutch Muslims, primarily from Morocco have become adherents of radical Islamic ideology. The extremist agenda has been promoted by Imams who immigrated to Holland and via websites that celebrate the likes of Osama Bin Laden.
In view of these tragic and troubling developments, we are asking our supporters to join the Simon Wiesenthal Center in urging Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, (pictured right) who is also currently serving as President of the European Union, to take specific measures to stem the rise of Islamist extremism by doing background checks on any religious leader from abroad seeking entry into Holland, to track extremist websites and to deport any so-called religious leader who promotes hatred and terrorism against any group in Holland.
Tragically, the execution of Theo van Gogh and the Nazi-like rhetoric in the letter pinned to his body fits into a larger pattern of emerging Islamist rhetoric that is surfacing across the globe from Holland to Canada. The challenge before all freedom-loving people residing in democracies is the need for society to protect individual freedoms while simultaneously protecting the safety and security of its citizens – European nations, including Holland, must meet this challenge head on!"
Send inquiries to: information@wiesenthal.net
Or send mail to: Simon Wiesenthal Center
1399 South Roxbury, Los Angeles, California 90035
310-553-9036
http://www.wiesenthal.com
This e-mail was sponsored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center,
an international organization with 400,000 members,
promoting tolerance and combating antisemitism worldwide.
LOS ANGELES . NEW YORK . PARIS . BUENOS AIRES
JERUSALEM . MIAMI . PALM BEACH . TORONTO
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