Silencing the Artist: Theo Van Gogh

Services were held today for Theo Van Gogh, the Dutch filmaker who was murdered by a suspected Islamic extremist a week ago. His murder has been linked to "Submission," a short film he directed which criticized the treatment of women under Islam. The film was controversial and ill-received in the Muslim community.

Mourners "...left cactuses, a tribute to the filmmaker's prickly nature, and bottles of beer."

"Van Gogh was a cherub-faced cynic who loved to irritate - and sometimes insult - those he felt were too sensitive.

"I'm deeply religious - I worship a pig," he once said. "I call him Allah."

During his award-winning career, he lost several jobs for crossing boundaries of good taste and had complaints filed against him by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

On his TV interview show, "A Nice Chat," Van Gogh wore suspenders, chain-smoked and gave his guests cactus plants as parting gifts."

Obviously, mourners left cactus plants because they were a trademark of Van Gogh.