Monday, September 25, 2006

German Opera House Cowed by Fears of Muslim Violence

Score another small victory for Islam's assault on freedom of speech and expression, from Agence France Presse:
Berlin's Deutsche Oper has removed the provocative staging of a Mozart opera from its schedule for fear of enraging Muslims, the opera house said in a statement.
One of three opera houses in the German capital, it cancelled director Hans Neuenfels's production of "Idomeneo", a 1781 drama set in ancient Crete, because authorities warned it could present an "incalculable security risk".

In the staging, which sparked audience protests during its premiere in December 2003, King Idomeneo presents the lopped-off heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and the Prophet Mohammed and displays them on four chairs.

German critics saw the show at the time as a radical attack on religion and religious wars.
Did the opera house cancel the performance because they feared attack from violent radical Christian fundamentalists, violent radical Greek pagans, or violent radical Buddhists?

No, these groups weren't a threat, even in 1781. But this group is: