http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=218066

His crime? Criticizing the treatment of women in Islamic countries on film.

Just finished reading the artcle and I have no idea what to make of it.
I need to think about tis one a bit.

-Dolce

Feel terrible for the guy ...

a bit off topic though but heres another example of people not being able to distinguish between the faith itself and the people who 'proclaim' they practice it ...

Neither of us has seen the movie, so we can't really comment on it.

However, if you read the description of it, it's a fictional story, that takes aim at practices in Muslim countries. Just because it's not politically correct, does not mean that such practices are uncommon.

Yeah, but I think the film, from the sound of it, is about people who "proclaim" to practice it, as you would put it. Its clearly a film that was meant to be reflective of a culture operating in a specific time and place, and not necessarily a film waxing theology in a broader sense. Its like someone doing a docu-drama about our Bible thumping Prez. Its not a film about the NT, its a film about how are president practices and mobilizes today's people around his interpretation of it. See what I'm saying the difference is? I don't know if I'm making sense, and I feel 1/2 bad about using Bush as an example because I don't want to make this thread about that, I guess that's just what's on my mind today. I wonder why...

-Dolce

no, I'm ofcourse, judging by how the news itself has been presented ... I speak in that context really ... and knowing the religion, I wont be surprised if the teachings of the faith have been derived from how its practiced.

Ofcourse .. I understand .. read my answer above, I was speaking more in terms of how the article itself presents itself : )

Most importantly, killing the guy over his criticisms of a religion, does not do anything to advance the cause of understanding.

Thats why i put the disclaimer at the top: Off topic : )

And just like me assuming what his movie contained, we're all here assuming a 'Muslim' killed him ..

They caught the killer...

**Goes back to read the article again, wondering HOW he missed that**

Just posted this in the Foreign Films forum.

It was not only about his film "Submission" why he was killed. He was a man who said what he thought, which he always did.
This murder has a lot to do with his criticism on conservative religion/faith.
Today in the Netherlands, freedom of speech is hurt in a total pointless way of expression.
I was shocked!

In memorium:
Theo van Gogh (1957-2004)

Aaaah

2nd para .. no wonder ... I usually like to move into the body ...
I stand corrected.

I knew there was someone here from Netherlands.

My condolensces.

Unfortunately, I know how stuff like this feels; in my country, Ukraine, we've had a number of people killed over their views in the past 10 years. Most notably, we had a journalist, Georgi Gongadze killed 4 years ago. He was an opponent of our president. There's a tape that was authenticated by foreign intelligence services on which president Kuchma was ordering the murder of the journalist. 4 years later, and the justice has not been served yet.

I read that earlier today and still dont know quite how to feel.

I certainly wonder just the state of affairs sometimes. I do have a rather strong opinion on the ways of their treatment of women, which I will keep to myself.

Bingo!
I would absolutely love if someone put out counterfilms and/or a well thought out publication instead. Or maybe, a large rally decrying the piece, I don't know. Jews didn't exactly like The Passion when it got released here. There was alot of energy directed at trying to prevent its release, and when that didn't happen, trying to mobilize discussions and information discemination to counter it. But no one up and shot Mel Gibson.

-Dolce

I understand too .. which is the one thing I hated about being in Pakistan as well .. very few people actually ever spoke up cause they knew the consequences .. the TV media pretty much bought .... I know I saw Freedom of Speech is over rated but its waaaaay better than not being able to speak at all, specially in a place that you call yourself home. I remember how this one band, 'Junoon' who spoke out against the political regime in the late 90s was completely banned from any kind of TV media, and the most famous Cricketer, Imran Khan, who became a big opposition to all political parties took up a stand and stood for elections, he was making the first and only Cancer Research hospital and the idiots bombed it and blamed it on him ....

For the Netherlands it's a very uncommon thing that someone gets killed, just because of freedom of speech. But sad is, that Theo recently made a film called "06-05" which was about the murder of policitician Pim Fortuyn.
Also killed cause of his radical thinking and expression.
Only the difference is that Van Gogh was killed by a man with a double nationality(Dutch, Maroccan).

Hows the reaction over there Daniel?? What are people saying over there?

Have you seen his movies?? If so, could you enlighten us on them?

The last couple of days the news was all about the U.S. elections, now everything is about Theo van Gogh. Right now there's an overwhelming and massive demonstration in Amsterdam!
Simply, most of the nation is shocked, also a big number of Islamic cultures(surprisingly, because they were criticized a lot by Van Gogh).

I have seen movies by Theo van Gogh, but I'll post some thoughts of them later this week. But some of his films have nothing to do with his murder, cause of subjects like prostitution(Vals Licht), telephone sex(06) and adultry(Baby Blue).

Them crazy dutchies.

This is why I keep saying that people like Michael Moore underestimate how great it is for them to live where they do. If he lived in Russia and tried to make such a documentary about Putin...well, he'd coincidentially die in an "accident".

He should get deported.