Demagogue

Normally, I wouldn't dream of claiming to understand the plans of the Almighty, but, just this once, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that this prayer will not be answered:

AMSTERDAM — Evangelical broadcaster EO is backing a call for prayer to convert Mohammed B., the man who killed filmmaker Theo van Gogh, from Islam to Christianity.

A reader of the EO's magazine has called on the broadcaster's audience to pray for B. in the hope that he will eventually "come to believe in God's son, Jesus Christ; to become one witness among many. "

A spokesperson for the EO said that the unsigned request had been sent to its magazine and the editorial department decided to place it in a section reserved for appeals to pray for important causes.

Meanwhile, Mohammed B. continues to be a lovely human being.

B. forbade [his lawyer] from mounting any defence on his behalf during the Van Gogh murder trial. The defendant broke his long silence at the end to emphasise that Van Gogh had insulted Islam and that B. had no regrets for killing him.

In a note written by B. prior to the killing, he indicated he hoped to be killed by the police after attacking Van Gogh. He was wounded in the leg in a gunbattle with officers.

He also indicated that if ever another chance he would kill again in the name of his brand of Islam.

Ah, fundamentalism. Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu--where would the world be without fundamentalists of all faiths?