AMSTERDAM, 10 November 2004 — Dutch Muslims rallied yesterday to condemn extremism and call for unity after a wave of attacks on mosques in apparent revenge for the murder of an outspoken filmmaker by a suspected Muslim extremist.

A 26-year-old Dutch-Moroccan has been charged with last week’s murder of Theo van Gogh, whose criticism of Islam angered Muslims. Hundreds of people have laid flowers, candles and notes at the spot where Van Gogh was killed. They also left cactuses, a tribute to the filmmaker’s prickly nature, and bottles of beer. Dozens of people circled the site on Tuesday.

“Stop the senseless violence in our beautiful, free Amsterdam and Netherlands,” read one note. “You are not alone. You died for freedom of thought,” read another.

About 60 young Muslims wearing orange T-shirts reading, “We won’t put up with extremism any more” cycled through Amsterdam stopping at mosques to protest against the murder.

They then joined a Dutch-Moroccan rally of several hundred in a park near the street where Van Gogh was killed.

“Muslims in Amsterdam are very worried and afraid but we want to say that we are part of the community and we are not going to tolerate or accept this,” said Samira Abbos, a 34-year-old Dutch-Moroccan television presenter.

A wave of arson attacks has targeted at least eight mosques since the killing and a Muslim school in Eindhoven was badly damaged in a small bomb blast on Monday that police said they suspected was in retaliation for the murder.

Fire bombs were thrown at two churches in the central Netherlands in early hours yesterday, ANP news agency reported.

A little-known group threatened to strike the Netherlands yesterday after the attacks on Muslim buildings. The country has been the subject of several threats by extremists due to the presence of 1,300 Dutch troops in Iraq.

“Stop the attacks on our mosques, schools and the Muslim community in Holland ... before you pay a heavy price,” said the statement attributed to the Islamic Tawhid Brigades, which claimed responsibility for bombings last month in Egypt.

Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk met Muslim groups yesterday to discuss the mounting tension.

“The ministers and the organizations are in agreement that everything must be done to call a halt to these negative developments. They strongly reject any form of extremism from whichever side it comes,” both parties said in a declaration.

The cremation yesterday of Van Gogh, a distant relative of 19th century painter Vincent van Gogh, was originally to be open to the public. But the plans were changed because of security concerns and expectations of a large turnout.

The Dutch authorities are hunting a Syrian they suspect of involvement in the Van Gogh murder, threats against a high-profile politician and for planning attacks on government buildings, Dutch media reported yesterday.

“The authorities have information that this Syrian played a central part in three incidents: The murder of Theo Van Gogh, threats against Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders and the preparation of attacks against state buildings,” De Volkskrant newspaper reported.

Dutch prosecutors declined comment on the reports.