NCJ Number
219104
Journal
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism Volume: 30 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2007 Pages: 579-592
Date Published
July 2007
Length
14 pages
Annotation
After describing the evolution of Dutch radical Islamist terrorist networks in general, this article profiles the Hofstad terrorist group, which planned and executed the assassination of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam on November 2, 2004.
Abstract
"Hofstad" is Dutch for "capital," and is the nickname applied by the Dutch authorities to this radical Islamist group that was based in Amsterdam. The Hofstad group exemplifies how Islamist terrorist networks in Europe have evolved. Although international events may have contributed to the radicalization of the men in the Hofstad group, their rage was directed toward individuals they perceived as their immediate enemies, i.e., local figures, such as Theo van Gogh, whom they believed were fighting Islam in the Netherlands. The Hofstad group, which was composed mostly of individuals who were either born or had spent most of their lives in the Netherlands, identified itself as an arm of the worldwide jihadist movement committed to attacking anti-Islamist targets in the Netherlands. Its perception of Europe as a battlefield of jihad, no less critical than Iraq or Afghanistan, signifies the break from the networks that operated in the continent in the 1990s. Among certain groups of young European Muslims, joining violent jihadist groups is viewed as an expression of a "cool" trend that confirms their rebellious identity. The emergence of such homegrown violent groups intensifies social tensions between the non-Muslim European population and Muslim communities. Terrorist attacks on local targets heighten pre-existing tensions, increasing mistrust of the Muslim population in Europe, further marginalizing Muslims from mainstream society. 64 notes