Since the murder of Theo van Gogh, last November, his now 14-year-old son Lieuwe has twice been physically attacked by young Moroccans, or (more likely) Dutch citizens of Moroccan descent. [Link, in Dutch.] Van Gogh's parents said this in an interview on national television.
They insisted their grandson had done nothing to provoke the assaults. In one incident, recalled Anneke van Gogh, Theo's mother, "[Lieuwe] was walking the dog in the Watergraafsmeer area of Amsterdam, and they came up to him and said, 'Is your name van Gogh?' Lieuwe said no, of course, but they beat him anyway."
She also recounted how, some time after Theo van Gogh's assassination, a group of Moroccans appeared in the street where he had lived, inquiring about Lieuwe's whereabouts. It was the neighbors' impression that the visitors weren't there to offer condolences, and the police were called — but according to the filmmaker's mother, no one bothered to show up. That would have been in keeping with local officers' alleged non-action after the two beatings Lieuwe received. The cops were called then, too, Anneke van Gogh told the TV interviewer, but they declined to make an appearance.
Recently, Lieuwe was transferred to another class, in another building of his school, after he'd been repeatedly bullied by Muslim pupils. His grandmother said that Lieuwe had had to endure taunts like "Good thing they killed your dad."
The news of the attacks on the 14-year-old came just a day after Theo's killer, Mohammed Bouyeri, was sentenced to life without parole. Through the verdict, Lieuwe held his head high. His response afterwards was that he would send Bouyeri a postcard with the words "Theo Forever."
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UPDATE, 5 p.m. EST: Murkiness intrudes. The Amsterdam Police Department denies that it didn't respond to the alleged violence against Lieuwe van Gogh. But the boy might have perpetrated a hoax, in the cops' view; they're saying he possibly made the episodes up. The van Gogh family, however, maintains that Lieuwe has been truthful, although it now appears there may have been just one actual physical attack on the fourteen-year-old — plus one planned attack, possibly involving a gun.
As (and if) more details emerge, I'll post them here.
Just disgusting!
And why should the victim be transferred to another class, in another building of the school? I think the little Islamic bullies should be kicked out of the school and they and their families should be put on a watch-list of potential 'throat-slitters for Allah'.
Posted by: TS | Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 02:33 PM
Lieuwe, if you're reading this, son, please listen. Be strong. Be confidant. Get yourself and aluminum baseball bat and a length of lead pipe the same size as the bat. Go somewhere where you can be alone among trees. Take the pipe every couple of days and hit the trees as hard as you can without damaging your wrists. DON'T use the bat; USE THE PIPE.
When you can swing the pipe as hard as you can for ten minutes without tiring out, take a couple of days off and then start carrying the bat with you wherever you go. Get a catcher's mitt too, and carry that with the bat.
The next time ANYONE starts to beat you up, take the catcher's mitt off the bat and... do what comes naturally.
If things get too dangerous for you after that, get yourself into the American Embassy as quick as you can and apply for asylum in America.
Posted by: KJ | Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 04:07 PM
Well the american dutch are very conservative..unlike the home grown type!..follow advise n get urself some tough friends even if they re not your class!!
Posted by: newyork | Sunday, July 31, 2005 at 12:01 PM
Ive linked this post.
http://theamboytimes.typepad.com/the_amboy_times/
2006/10/youtube_snuffs_.html
Posted by: kevin | Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 12:21 AM