Mohammed Bouyeri

Mohammed Bouyeri (b. March 8 1978), the convicted murderer of Theo van Gogh, a controversial Dutch film director, is currently serving a life sentence without parole. He holds both Dutch and Moroccan citizenship. His parents are first-generation immigrants. Bouyeri used the pen name "Abu Zubair" for writing and translating. On the Internet he often posted letters and sent e-mail under this name. He claims to have murdered van Gogh to fulfill his duty as a Muslim.

Life

In 1995, Mohammed Bouyeri finished his secondary education and subsequently went on to the college "InHolland" in Diemen. He changed his major several times and left after five years without obtaining a degree. At an early age he was known to the police as a member of a group of Moroccan "problem-youth." For a while he worked as a volunteer at Eigenwijks, a neighbourhood organization in the Slotervaart suburb of Amsterdam. He started to radicalize shortly after his mother died and his father re-married in the fall of 2003. The September 11 attacks and the war in Iraq contributed to his radicalization. He started to live according to strict Islamic rules. As a result he could perform fewer and fewer tasks at Eigenwijks. For example, he refused to serve alcohol and did not want to be present at activities attended by both women and men. Finally, he put an end to his activities at Eigenwijks altogether. He grew a beard and began to wear a djellaba. He frequently visited the El Tawheed mosque where he met other radical muslims, among whom were terrorism suspect Samir A. With them he is said to have formed the Hofstad Network, a Dutch terrorist cell.

Related Topics:
1995 - Secondary education - College - Diemen - Major - Degree - Police - Amsterdam - 2003 - September 11 attacks - War in Iraq - Islamic rules - Alcohol - Djellaba - El Tawheed - Mosque - Muslim - Terrorism - Samir A. - Hofstad Network - Terrorist cell

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