The Dutch Islamic extremist who killed film maker and Islam critic Theo van Gogh in 2004 has said he is not sorry about the killing. Popular Rotterdam daily AD is publishing a letter by the convicted murderer, Mohammed Bouyeri, in its print edition on Friday.

Bouyeri wrote to an unidentified Muslim group that he has "no regrets about the choices [he] made and the path [he] had chosen to follow. Not for one single second." Most of the letter is religious in nature, with statements like "How, brothers and sisters, could we possibly despair given the blessings we received from Him? We were on the brink of damnation and Allah saved us from a plunge into darkness. He took care of us and cleansed us from the dirt and the unbelief."

The Dutch intelligence agency (AIVD) told AD reporters that they are aware of the letter and are not surprised by its content. "It is in the same style as his earlier letters and does not change our view of him or of his thoughts." The letter surfaced in Belgium and was handed to AD daily.

Mohammed Bouyeri is serving a life sentence for the murder of Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam.

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