Dutch production company Column Productions haswithdrawn Theo van Gogh's controversial short film Submission: Part Ifrom the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Producer Gijs van de Westelakendecided to cancel a public screening of the film for "security reasons".

The film, in which the late Van Gogh andliberal Somali-Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali criticise the radical elementsof Islamic religion, would have screened Sunday 30th January as an introductionto a debate about freedom of speech in films. The event is being held as atribute to van Gogh, who was murdered by an extremist Muslim on November 2nd.

Submission: Part I, in which Koran verses are written on the naked body of an abusedMuslim woman, is generally considered to be the motive for the murder.

Column does not give any further reason dor thewithdrawal of the film, except that it has been advised to be careful. "We donot want to take any chance of endangering anyone else who participated in thefilm", producer Van de Westelaken said.

Van Gogh's last feature 06/05, will receiveits theatrical world premiere at the festival on Sunday.