Unfortunately Europe has shown (again) that it fails to grasp the problem of radical Islam in its society. Thus another brave and outspoken critic is silenced, this time for good. I have a few thoughts, some of which may seem tasteless.
Firstly, as Norm Geras reports, there was a significant public demonstration in Amsterdam to protest this killing. And as he delicately hints this does precisely what? How exactly are potential intolerant muderers deterred from murdering people who vocally disagree with their point of view by having 20,000 people stand up and bang saucepans? Amazingly, as EURSOC noted recently, the European country that deals most robustly with intolerance is France, where those who preach intolerance are bundled out of the country pronto.
Secondly, unlike the claims of the Bushitler brigade, no one in America has been killed recently for their outspoken political views. Theo's fellow filmmaker Michael Moore has utterly failed to receive death threats or, indeed, any physical attack from all the right-wing bush fascist gun nuts whom he has insulted, smeared and ridiculed in one film after another. The main response to Moore from his critics has been to critique his films, list his falsehoods and make their own films concentrating on him. As Irshad Manji points out the death threat, sometimes attempted and sometimes carried out, is the standard response to criticism of Islam. Those on the left who ally with Islamists against the perceived rightwing US might want to think about this.
Thirdly this story illustrates modern progress and the difference between America and Europe. In Europe a witness takes a picture of the victim on his camera phone. In the US with its concealed carry laws the chances are that the witness would have shot at the attacker. And of course Theo himself might have shot at his attacker. Of course he might still have died and he might not have got his attacker but surely the biggest deterrent to gunning someone down in the street is the possibility that the target decides to shoot back?
The Theo case shows quite clearly that despite all its claims to value human rigts including the right to self expression and free speech Europe cannot in general protect those of its people who say something critical of radical minorities.