Violence in The Netherlands
Today it is exactly eight years ago that Pim Fortuijn (Fortuyn) was murdered.
I wasn't in The Netherlands when it happened. I heard about it, read about it, was completely dumbfounded by it. The Netherlands is not usually a violent country (well, apart from when it comes to football, perhaps!), we are not usually a violent people. We are competitive, we are easily annoyed, we often grumble about anything from weather to sports to the economy - but we are not a people who assasinate politicians or our royal family or people we don't agree with.
Or so I thought.
The first time I came across Pim Fortuijn was when I saw him on TV, commenting on the happening of September 11th. I was 17 then, and really not interested in politics. This TV appearance was the first time I heard Pim Fortuyn's name, the first time I saw his face. The first time I can remember anyway.
I didn't agree with what he had to say then - something along the lines of how Muslims are bad, Islam a violent religion, etcetera - and while I have learnt a lot more in eight years and can see now where he was coming from, I still do not agree with him now. His words back then scared me, and words like his said by others these days still scare me.
I did not agree with the man's words, however there was not a single bone in my body that thought "this man should die" or anything of the sort. I didn't agree with what he said. Decided that his name was one worth remembering because of what he said. Less than nine months later, he was assasinated.
There was a doco on TV tonight about that assassination. About the murderer and what he did on that day, about the assassination itself, about his flight from police and his eventual capture. Well, eventual... apparently he was captured in under ten minutes.
Not long after the murder of Pim Fortuyn, another outspoken anti-Islamic public figure was assassinated. Theo van Gogh, a columnist, a documentary maker, an outspoken man who was not afraid to speak his mind. Check out his short film "Fitna" available on Youtube to find out some of his opinions on things.
Then, at the Queen's Birthday celebrations (April 30th) in 2009, a man drove his car into a lot of people who were all watching the Queen and her family go past in a procession. There were several dead, many more wounded.
The 4th of May is Remembrance Day here, the 5th is Liberation Day. We remember the Second World War and the SIX MILLION plus people who died, and the next day we celebrate that the War is over, that we are a free people. That war has been over in our country since the end of the Second World War, and that we are still a free people.
On the 4th, we are silent for two minutes at 8pm. People driving park their cars, all tv stations show a live feed of the remembrance celebrations, people stop and take two minutes to remember the tragedy.
While the War ended 65 years ago, it is still a huge part of our history. It is something so major, so horrible, so awful, that is can never, must never be forgotten.
This year, the Queen (Beatrix), her son the Crown Prince (Willem Alexander) and his wife (Maxima) were in Amsterdam, they attended the Remembrance Day ceremony there. Apparently a man started shouting during the two minutes of silence, which caused a lot of people to panic. People were pushed into barricades, trampled, the Queen and her family were whisked away, and a number of people were injured.
I'd like to repeat that we are not usually a violent people.
I'm becoming less and less sure about repeating that phrase with a straight face.
What is happening to our country? What is happening to our people? To the world?
And what else will happen next? How many more will be wounded, killed, trampled, scarred for life?
I wasn't in The Netherlands when it happened. I heard about it, read about it, was completely dumbfounded by it. The Netherlands is not usually a violent country (well, apart from when it comes to football, perhaps!), we are not usually a violent people. We are competitive, we are easily annoyed, we often grumble about anything from weather to sports to the economy - but we are not a people who assasinate politicians or our royal family or people we don't agree with.
Or so I thought.
The first time I came across Pim Fortuijn was when I saw him on TV, commenting on the happening of September 11th. I was 17 then, and really not interested in politics. This TV appearance was the first time I heard Pim Fortuyn's name, the first time I saw his face. The first time I can remember anyway.
I didn't agree with what he had to say then - something along the lines of how Muslims are bad, Islam a violent religion, etcetera - and while I have learnt a lot more in eight years and can see now where he was coming from, I still do not agree with him now. His words back then scared me, and words like his said by others these days still scare me.
I did not agree with the man's words, however there was not a single bone in my body that thought "this man should die" or anything of the sort. I didn't agree with what he said. Decided that his name was one worth remembering because of what he said. Less than nine months later, he was assasinated.
There was a doco on TV tonight about that assassination. About the murderer and what he did on that day, about the assassination itself, about his flight from police and his eventual capture. Well, eventual... apparently he was captured in under ten minutes.
Not long after the murder of Pim Fortuyn, another outspoken anti-Islamic public figure was assassinated. Theo van Gogh, a columnist, a documentary maker, an outspoken man who was not afraid to speak his mind. Check out his short film "Fitna" available on Youtube to find out some of his opinions on things.
Then, at the Queen's Birthday celebrations (April 30th) in 2009, a man drove his car into a lot of people who were all watching the Queen and her family go past in a procession. There were several dead, many more wounded.
The 4th of May is Remembrance Day here, the 5th is Liberation Day. We remember the Second World War and the SIX MILLION plus people who died, and the next day we celebrate that the War is over, that we are a free people. That war has been over in our country since the end of the Second World War, and that we are still a free people.
On the 4th, we are silent for two minutes at 8pm. People driving park their cars, all tv stations show a live feed of the remembrance celebrations, people stop and take two minutes to remember the tragedy.
While the War ended 65 years ago, it is still a huge part of our history. It is something so major, so horrible, so awful, that is can never, must never be forgotten.
This year, the Queen (Beatrix), her son the Crown Prince (Willem Alexander) and his wife (Maxima) were in Amsterdam, they attended the Remembrance Day ceremony there. Apparently a man started shouting during the two minutes of silence, which caused a lot of people to panic. People were pushed into barricades, trampled, the Queen and her family were whisked away, and a number of people were injured.
I'd like to repeat that we are not usually a violent people.
I'm becoming less and less sure about repeating that phrase with a straight face.
What is happening to our country? What is happening to our people? To the world?
And what else will happen next? How many more will be wounded, killed, trampled, scarred for life?
