The Islamic murderer of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh boasted of the killing today in court, praised Allah and Mohammed, told Van Gogh’s mother he had no sympathy for her, and said if he ever gets free he’ll do it again. (Hat tip: LawHawk.)

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch-Moroccan man confessed in court on Tuesday to murdering a filmmaker critical of Islam last year, breaking his silence over a killing that fanned religious and racial tension in the Netherlands.

Mohammed Bouyeri was accused of killing Theo van Gogh as he cycled to work in Amsterdam on Nov. 2, 2004. He was charged with shooting and stabbing Van Gogh before slashing his throat and pinning a note to his body with a knife in broad daylight.

Van Gogh, a descendent of the brother of the 19th century Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, was known for his outspoken criticism of Islam and angered many Muslims by making a film which accused Islam of condoning violence against women.

“I did what I did purely out my beliefs,” the 27-year-old Muslim told judges after entering court clutching a Quran. “I want you to know that I acted out of conviction and not that I took his life because he was Dutch or because I was Moroccan and felt insulted.”

The bearded suspect, dressed in a black robe and black and white headscarf, praised Allah and the Prophet Mohammed before admitting to the killing on the second day of his trial in Amsterdam’s high-security court. …

Bouyeri told judges he had acted according to his convictions. Unrepentant, he told the victim’s mother — who was in court — that he did not sympathize with her loss and would be prepared to do the same again.

“If I ever get free, I would do it again,” he said.

Bouyeri could face up to life in prison if found guilty of the murder. He faces other charges including the attempted murder of police officers and illegal possession of weapons. A verdict is due in two weeks. Prosecutors say his acts had a terrorist intent and called for him to be jailed for life. They described Van Gogh’s killing as a cowardly attack on a defenseless man.

“I take full responsibility upon myself,” Bouyeri told the court. “It would be cowardly if I hid here behind the rules of the game by saying nothing and to avoid the chance of receiving the maximum sentence.”

UPDATE at 7/12/05 8:33:16 am:

Peaktalk has more chilling details about the trial; Bouyeri’s sick statement to Van Gogh’s mother:

In a statement to the court Bouyeri explained he would do exactly the same thing if he was ever paroled, and addressed Van Gogh’s mother directly:

He argued that he did not kill her son out of hate, “but I have chopped off his head according to the law that orders me to do so to everyone who offends Allah. I do not not feel your pain as I do not know what it is to suffer the loss of a child.”

And this description of some of the evidence against Bouyeri:

Islam-expert Peters declared before the court that Bouyeri is obsessed by death, violence and mutilation. He was able to deduct that from the documents found in the house of the defendant. The police discovered texts calling for the death of infidels and CD-Roms with horrific scenes of mutilations, amputations, and liquidations.