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5/15/07

LA Daily News - Zombies aside, the rage is evident in Europe - Bridget Johnson

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LA Daily News - Zombies aside, the rage is evident in Europe - Bridget Johnson

Rage has popped up around Europe, in the form of vicious reactions and bloodlust that has seemed so foreign to countries that have tried to pride themselves on a modern mix of liberalism, tradition and tolerance. The rage surfaced in reaction to the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as French president.

Peaceful protests are one thing, but many discontents opted for breaking shop windows and burning cars night after night. We're told this is just a youth reaction to feelings of inequality and not having jobs and being bored. We're told that the French government is to blame for this rage, rather than the perpetrators themselves.

It's the rage that drove Mohammed Bouyeri to approach filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004 and proceed to shoot him several times, nearly decapitate him and stab him in the chest. Pinned to a knife left in van Gogh's chest was a note threatening Dutch parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali, van Gogh's partner in the making of his short film "Submission," which decried the treatment of women in Muslim societies.

But zombiedom aside, it's easy to see the rage spreading through Europe beyond the silver screen - and terrifying to see how infectious it seems.

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