Fortuyn was a sociology professor and former communist who eventually set his sights on Dutch politics. He became a prominent critic of Islam in the Netherlands in 1997 with his book Against the Islamization of Our Culture: Dutch Identity as Foundation. He was also an outspoken opponent of the Dutch commitment to multiculturalism at a time when this was not a popular position politically. The populist Livable Netherlands Party elected Fortuyn as its leader in November 2001, though he soon lost his leadership position after making critical comments about Muslims, including accusations that Muslims were incapable of respecting women, lesbians, and gays. He formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List, and prepared for the national elections, but he was assassinated on May 6, 2002, just prior to the elections. People immediately speculated that the killer was a radical Muslim, an assumption bolstered by Fortuyn’s outspoken views on Islam. As it turned out, the murderer was an animal rights activist, but this fact did not let Muslims off the hook. The initial speculation alone reinforced the Western narrative that connected Islam and violence.

QUESTION: Worth investigating further how quickly public narratives assign blame to Muslims before facts are known.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 365