In February 2012, Mullah Krekar confirmed in the Oslo District Court that he had issued a twenty page fatwa against Halabjaee.[22] The fatwa was sent to several hundred Islamic scholars around the world. While Mullah Krekar said he thought he might be able to "guarantee the safety" of Halabjaee, Mullah Krekar confirmed that his fatwa "implies" that it is "permissible" to kill Halabjaee in Oslo or anywhere else.[23] Mullah Krekar compared Halabjaee to Theo van Gogh, the film director who was killed by an Islamist in the Netherlands in 2004.[24]