Theo van Gogh, Maker of Movie About Islam, Is Shot Dead
Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Theo van Gogh, the Dutch newspaper critic of Islam and maker of a film about violence against women in Muslim societies, was shot to death in Amsterdam today.
Van Gogh, who was 47, was attacked while cycling near the city's Oosterpark, said Gerald Vroegland, a police spokesman. He was assaulted with a knife and shot "many times,'' he said.
Police arrested a suspect, who is 26 and has Dutch and Moroccan passports, after a shootout during which a bystander was injured, Amsterdam Chief Prosecutor Leo de Wit said. The suspect was shot in the leg and is in hospital, Vroegland said.
Van Gogh received death threats after the August broadcast on Dutch national TV of his film "Submission,'' made with Member of Parliament Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the broadcaster NOS said. The filmmaker last month completed a movie about the May 2002 assassination of Pim Fortuyn, a Dutch politician whose popularity rested partly on opposition to illegal immigrants. . . .
"Submission,'' a 10-minute film, features images of a Muslim woman wearing a transparent veil, which reveals her breasts. Koranic texts describing physical punishments for "disobedient women'' are written on parts of her body.
Van Gogh also criticized Islam's treatment of women in his column in the Metro newspaper in Amsterdam.
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