Non-Romanticizing Any Country - Amsterdam, The Death of Theo Van Gogh

Theo Van Gogh
Immigration, Tolerance, Intolerance, How to Survive Together

Van Gogh had made a film in the Netherlands that offended a particular Islamist because of the film's depiction of treatment of women, among other issues. There are now about a million Dutch-born Muslims in the Netherlands - of a total population of about 16 million. He was murdered on November 2, 2004 in Amsterdam, for producing the film.  See a chronology of news accounts and links at ://www.religionnewsblog.com/category/theo-van-gogh/  He was the great-great grandson of the brother of Vincent Van Gogh, also named Theo. See ://www.imdb.com/name/nm0324660/

Travel leads to post-trip interest in the country's political, social, religious events and climate. The issue of global immigration and conflicting religious views leading to violence is historically familiar, whether Christian or Islam, see Originalism and Literalism v. Reason and Practicality. Throughout the world, see the clash of intolerance of self-determination deviation and tolerance for self-determination. The murder of Theo Van Gogh highlights its modern form.  See the book Murder in Amsterdam, The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance, by Ian Buruma, reviewed by Christopher Caldwell in the New York Times, 9/20/2006 at page 8.

Philosophy, tolerance, the place of newcomers, and what if the newcomers are physically aggressive about their cause, the the old-timers use language and political processes.  These are global issues.

There is an active counterculture, and no resolution in sight.

The issue fosters a deadly earnestness about oppositions. Extremes east and west, not limited to any particular framework.  Moderates are in each.  Sing of moderation.

Hwaet. Listen up. See Beowulf's bard being sure he has people's attention before telling his tale at ://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/beowulf-oe.html/


Theo Van Gogh. Do an Images search - fair use thumbnail, see userstelenet.be. One of many. Beware the hate sites disregard the obvious: that extremes do not speak for the middle and that Christians have engaged in purges of others also, and some still do.  See Scott Roeder at ://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/us/30roeder.html