July 12, 2005
ASYSTOLE
Contempt and defiance from Muslim accused of murdering film-maker (David Rennie, Telegraph, 7/12/05)
The gulf between the West and radical Islam was on painful display yesterday when a young Muslim went on trial for the murder of the Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh but refused to recognise the court's authority.Simon Newcomb once wrote that, "The combined willingness and ability of a number of persons in the community to give dimes to beggars constitutes a demand for beggary, just as much as if an advertisement, 'Beggars wanted, liberal alms guaranteed,' was conspicuously inserted in the columns of a newspaper." A nation that pays for victims, gets them. Posted by David Cohen at July 12, 2005 10:16 AMMohammed Bouyeri, a baby-faced 27-year-old with joint Moroccan and Dutch nationality, limped into court with what appeared to be a large Koran under one arm. Wearing a black, collarless gown and a black and white Palestinian-style headscarf, he smirked at the panel of three black-robed judges.
He offered no defence, instructing his lawyer to tell the court that he acknowledged only Islamic law. . . .
Mr van Gogh's mother, Anneke, delivered a brief victim statement to the court. Her voice shaking, she said of Bouyeri: "He had the time to plan this, because for three years he was on unemployment benefits."
Holland's welfare society had one more surprise to offer. Two senior policemen involved in the final shootout with Bouyeri appeared in court to ask for €3,000 (£2,060) compensation for emotional distress.
Insp Marcel Groenendaal and Brig J S de Ruyter said they had suffered loss of concentration and apathy since the gunfight. Bouyeri rolled his eyes at their testimony, apparently amused.
"He offered no defence, instructing his lawyer to tell the court that he acknowledged only Islamic law"
sigh.
Islamic law would say that Muslims in non-Muslim lands have to recognise the authority of the laws operating there.
A**clown.
Posted by: Ali Choudhury at July 12, 2005 10:20 AMThat's just a question of figuring out which are the non-Muslim lands. I'm sure the French would be willing to negotiate...
Posted by: David Cohen at July 12, 2005 10:41 AMWell, would it help if the bailiff announced "according to Islamic law I now shoot you in the head", and did it?
Posted by: ratbert at July 12, 2005 11:04 AMI would prefer to stick with the tried and tested method of decapitation.
Posted by: Ali Choudhury at July 12, 2005 11:09 AMi always wonder about the convicts converting to islam, in american prisons. why don't the authorities just plaster the walls with photos of thier brethren, receiving justice in arab countries. "this is what your new religion will do to you, the next time you ply your trade".
Posted by: cjm at July 12, 2005 12:19 PMI always assumed that most prison converts in American prisons were to Nation of Islam which is more of a black identity movement than a religious one, and one not closely related to Arabian Islam.
Posted by: Shelton at July 12, 2005 12:38 PMpadilla.
Posted by: cjm at July 12, 2005 1:43 PMThey convert to Islam (Black or otherwise) as way to say that they reject the society in which they live.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at July 12, 2005 2:46 PMFine. When their sentences are up, revoke their citizenships, send them to Riyadh, and drop them on the street.
Ot, better yet, Lagos.
Posted by: jim hamlen at July 12, 2005 3:05 PMApparently there is no more agreement within Islam about what the Big Spook wants than there is in Christianity.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at July 12, 2005 4:35 PMHarry: That is serious progress.
Posted by: David Cohen at July 12, 2005 4:57 PMfloat a rumor that felons won't be elgible for reparations, then watch crime levels plummet.
Posted by: cjm at July 12, 2005 6:46 PMHow so?
Posted by: Harry Eagar at July 12, 2005 9:28 PMYou seem to be contemplating the possibility that neither Christianity nor Islam is inherently dedicated to the extermination of nonbelievers. Also, let me say that your automatic suspicion when accused of progress warms the cockles of my cold, conservative heart.
Posted by: David Cohen at July 12, 2005 11:49 PM