Dutch Police Arrest Cartoonist For “Insulting Islam”
by Thomas Landen Brussels Journal
The Dutch authorities have arrested the cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot (a pseudonym. Nekschot means deathblow, litt: “shot in the back of the neck” [An interview with Nekschot here]). The judicial authorities in Amsterdam said yesterday that the cartoonist was arrested as a suspect for the criminal offense of “publishing cartoons which are discriminating for Muslims and people with dark skin.”
The cartoonist was arrested on Tuesday, while the police searched his house for “discriminating evidence.” His computer, backups, usb sticks, mobile phone and a number of drawings were confiscated. Nekschot was released two days later but it is possible that he will be charged following a complaint in 2005 by the Dutch imam Abdul Jabbar van de Ven, an indigenous Dutchman who converted to Islam.
According to the Dutch public prosecutor Nekschot “makes his profession” of drawing cartoons of “an insulting and/or discriminating nature.” Ernst Hirsch Ballin, the Dutch minister of Justice, a Christian-Democrat, said that it took the police three years to discover the real identity of the cartoonist.
Nekschot, a friend of the late Theo van Gogh, the Dutch film maker who was ritually slaughtered by a Muslim fanatic in 2004, hides his real identity in order to avoid unnecessary risks. Hans Teeuwen, a Dutch stand-up comedian and friend of Nekschot’s, told the Dutch media yesterday that the police had told Nekschot as they released him earlier that day that “he has now lost his anonymity.” Teeuwen said this was “a rather intimidating remark.”
As spokeswoman of Xtra, Nekschot’s publisher, said today: “He was arrested with a great show of force, by around 10 policemen.” The spokeswoman asked that her name not be used because the cartoonist and publisher have received death threats. Nekschot told the Dutch newspaper Het Parool today that police officers had told him: “What you draw is worse than what they did in Denmark. Do you realize what can happen to you if your identity gets known?” The cartoonist fears for his live if he is being sent to jail. “As the maker of those cartoons my life is in danger in prison,” he said.
Nekschot’s work is rude and often sexually explicit. As such it is characteristic for the Dutch liberal mentality and not beyond the limit in the Netherlands. In his cartoons, however, he mocks the multicultural society, and that does seem to be beyond all bounds.
Meanwhile, a group of American bloggers are making parodies of the Flemish pulpit which is deemed offensive by Muslims because it depicts Mohammed being trampled by angels. Reprinting the parodies is illegal in most European countries. Hence, if you live in Europe do not click this link!
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Dont click the link Franchie!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:41 pmdeathstar, you mean because of the “fare enculo” ?
“But wait a bit,” the Oysters cried,
“Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!”
“No hurry!” said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
“A loaf of bread,” the Walrus said,
“Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed–
Now if you’re ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.”
“But not on us!” the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
“After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!”
“The night is fine,” the Walrus said.
“Do you admire the view?
“It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf–
I’ve had to ask you twice!”
“It seems a shame,” the Walrus said,
“To play them such a trick,
After we’ve brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“The butter’s spread too thick!”
“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:
“I deeply sympathize.”
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,
“You’ve had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?’
But answer came there none–
And this was scarcely odd, because
They’d eaten every one.
uh, thanks to Tedders
May 16th, 2008 at 1:57 pm“They feed the crocodile in the hope that he will eat them last.” Winston Churchill’s observation about appeasers.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:07 pmIslamsterdam? Dumbfuckistan is more like it.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:07 pmOh wait… that’s the new name for France.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:09 pmArrested?!?!? So much for freedom. I guarantee if they were of Christian subject matter they wouldn’t have batted an eye.
Europe’s freedom is slowly slipping away.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:13 pmwell, euphemism apart,I would say that the guy must have taken his responsabilities.
as far as France is concerned, he wouldn’t have been arrested, even for a bad taste in humor ; he certainly had chosen another way of expression (may-be theater) ; such rude drawiings wouldn’t have been shown in a large public, because of their rudeness, not because of their supposed offence on a religious belief
May 16th, 2008 at 2:19 pmI wonder if you can get odds in Vegas as to which European county goes down to islam first?
May 16th, 2008 at 2:28 pmYeah … nobdy got arrested for “Piss Christ” or “Elephant Dung Thrown On Virgin Mary” …
But then, nobody lost their head over it either.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:30 pmwhat events do you relate that I don’t remember ?
May 16th, 2008 at 2:32 pmOddly, in a search engine surf the only site I could find with pictures of the “artwork” I mentioned above is a nasty lefty anti-Christian site … but you’re wanting to see the pictures
http://www.godofbiscuits.com/blog/archives/2006/02/piss_christ_mar.html
May 16th, 2008 at 2:38 pmOK, I find them rather inoffensive, well my criteriums in matter of Art may be more of an open amateur (Art school and history of Art)
May 16th, 2008 at 3:16 pmDeep
May 16th, 2008 at 3:18 pmI am then assuming, and it may have been made clear previously but you know my translation issues with you sometimes (my fault :roll:), that you are NOT Christian.
However, nasty religious depictions aside, ANY depiction of the great and all powerful Moo-ham-id results in the same reaction with these people.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pmBTW
franchie
Using ‘waste matter’ from any animal is NOT an artform …
It’s just an untalented and unimaginative lazy idiot out in the free public because he/she is too ‘articualte’ in thought-to-speech to have been locked inside one of those places with bright white walls to finger paint on with his/her own shit …
May 16th, 2008 at 4:10 pmSo it’s ok to insult Christianity, but to insult Islam is verboten?
I’m sorry, which one wants to kill us all if we don’t believe?
Euro’s have their head stuck in the sand. I’m putting my money on England going down first.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:41 pmHey Eurotards:
ISLAM SUCKS.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:56 pmMOHAMMED WAS (AND STILL IS) A PEDAPHILE.
DEATH TO ISLAM.
CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YA?
Do we have to go over there and save your sorry ass again?
I suppose so.
I say Netherlands goes first.
Shit, I need a freaking beer.
Why do they NOT have a 1st amendment?
I hate radical muslims and I wish they would go away-arrest me 
May 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pmDrill
I may be not religious the way you practice and think of a religion, but I can still feel spirituality anywhere,
I didn’t rate the pictures you linked as artistic matter, but if they were offencious or not (to me) ; though at the artistic level, it’s bit like teen’s art production, not very imaginative, not very well thought, therefore not valuable
May 17th, 2008 at 12:55 amWe are no Eurotards, type in Dutch troops and Afghanistan etc. at Youtuve/Google etc.Van Gogh and Wilders. More than 60% of Dutch think Islam is a threat. Our politicians just dont back us up at the moment, especially those of the Christian democratic Party and that of the more orthodox Christian Union.(do you guys understand that? Well I dont) Freedom of expression is more safe at right-wing parties like that of Geert Wilders.(www.pvv.nl)
The schizopfrenic thing is that these actions against the cartoonist are initiated by the Christian minister of Justice who dislikes insults to Christians and Muslims or any religious group (in his own interest) and his actions are a big threat to our freedom of speech which is codified in law bye the way. And still VERY strong, the Netherland is still one of the most democratic countries in the world. This action is highly unusual and marks this era of the big clash between the Free West and the Islam.
The action of this Christian muslim collaborator minister is leading to a strong debate and received huge critics which will hopefully results in sending him home….
http://gregoriusnekschot.nl/blog/?blog=5&page=1&disp=posts&paged=4
Cartoon at the bottom says multiple choice:
May 19th, 2008 at 2:04 ama)a catholic Priest
b)a Dutch Marine Officer
c) a (certain) Prophet
d) an Austrian
Gregorius Nekschot is the pseudonym of a controversial Dutch cartoonist. His cartoons are published on the internet[1] and are seen as very extreme.
Nekschot is an advocate of complete freedom of speech, as was movie director Theo van Gogh. The cartoonist is opposed to all totalitarian leaning forms of ideologies and religions, most importantly socialism, Nazism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Van Gogh supported Nekschot by putting his cartoons on his website, before he was murdered by an Islamic fundamentalist in 2004.
“Gregorius” refers to Pope Gregory IX, who instituted the Papal Inquisition, and “Nekschot” means literally “shot in the neck,” a method used by “fascists and communists to get rid of their opponents.”[2]
Nekschot has met with strong resistance from Dutch society. The media would not publish his cartoons. A book with his cartoons, Misselijke grappen (”sick jokes”) has been published by Xtra (publisher), but the distributor would not distribute it.
Nekschot has been threatened by fundamentalist Muslims and Dutch anarchists. Dutch Jews and a parliamentarian of the CDA emailed him because they had strong objections to his cartoons.
In 2005, the cartoonist was nominated for a Clickies, a Dutch web-comic award.[3] However, in order to maintain his anonymity, he announced that he would not attend the ceremony.
On May 13, 2008 Gregorius was arrested in Amsterdam for publishing cartoons which allegedly were discriminating towards muslims and non-caucasians. He was released the next day, but is still suspected of insulting people on the basis of their race or belief, and possibly also of inciting hate. Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, a Christian-Democrat, has been criticized by a large part of the Lower House for the arrest, and also found opposition from within the Christian community.[4]
May 19th, 2008 at 2:08 am