Dutch Muslims rallied on Tuesday to condemn extremism and call for unity after a wave of attacks on mosques in apparent revenge for the murder of an outspoken filmmaker by a suspected Muslim extremist. About 60 young Dutch Muslims wearing orange T-shirts reading "We won't put up with extremism any more" cycled through Amsterdam stopping at mosques to protest against the murder. They then joined a Dutch-Moroccan rally of several hundred in a park near the street where Van Gogh was killed.
"Muslims in Amsterdam are very worried and afraid but we want to say that we are part of the community and we are not going to tolerate or accept this," said Samira Abbos, a 34-year-old Dutch-Moroccan television presenter.
A 26-year-old Dutch-Moroccan has been charged with last week's murder of Theo van Gogh, whose criticism of Islam angered Muslims. Van Gogh is due to be cremated later on Tuesday in a ceremony to be broadcast live on television.
Hundreds of people have laid flowers, candles and notes at the spot where Van Gogh was killed. They also left cactuses, a tribute to the filmmaker's prickly nature, and bottles of beer. Dozens of people circled the site on Tuesday.
"Stop the senseless violence in our beautiful, free Amsterdam and Netherlands," read one note. "You are not alone. You died for freedom of thought," read another.
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