German opera house cancels provocative Mohammed staging

BreitBart ^ | 9/25/2006

[Rutles4Ever]

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.

Musical director Kirsten Harms decided to cancel the new staging of the opera, scheduled for November, to avert "any danger to the audience or staff" that could arise from violent protests.

The opera itself deals with resistance to sacrifices demanded by the gods but makes no mention of any of the world's major religions.

The cancellation comes two weeks after Pope Benedict XVI sparked Muslim anger on a visit to his native Germany when he quoted from a medieval text that criticized some teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman".

And the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten set off a firestorm in the Muslim world when it printed 12 caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed last September and other, mostly European, newspapers followed suit.

Islam considers images of the prophet to be blasphemous.

[pabianice]

When the **** is the West going to tell "outraged Muslims" to take a hike?

[buwaya]

Mozart has nothing to do with it - this is just a silly staging gimmick of this particular production. Good riddance if you ask me.

Now, if staged properly, there are any number of operas that could legitimately give Muslims the heebie-jeebies - a few that are relatively commonly produced -

The Abduction from the Seraglio - Mozart
I Lombardi, or Jerusalem - Verdi
El Cid - Massenet

There are lots more, from an age when the Muslim as bogeyman was PC.

[AmishDude]

How can anybody think that bashing Christianity is in any way avant garde?

Come on, all of you brave "artists". I dare you. I double dare you.

[samadams2000]

Come stage it at my property! American built firepower will be patroling the perimeter for any upset koranimals.

[toddlintown]

"As a Jew I am deeply offended that Moses' severed head was not included in this performance"

You get a two-fer with Jesus.

[sitetest]

Dear good old days,

Thanks for the ping!

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sitetest

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I wish Mohammed's head had been lopped off at an early age. Would of saved the world a lot of grief.

[freakboy]

At least they are honest about the reason for cancelling the opera. Most organizations would claim that they are doing so out of respect for Islam. These guys admit that they are afraid of a violent response.

[alarm rider]

"Good night, Europe".

Such a simple few words, but so revealing in truth. Excellent.

[alarm rider]

True. And how long will it be until some smart guy figures out that Western leadership is needed and rises to the occasion. The law of unintended consequences is beating a path to our doors.

[mylife]

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.

Funny, I dont see that in the libretto

[good old days]

Why don't they just do the opera as written and not add the director's scene which is causing the problem in the first place? Makes absolutely no sense to me.

[Bokababe]

Here's another story on this same event http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060926/ap_on_en_mu/germany_opera_islam_18

Bernd Neumann, the federal government's top cultural official, said that "problems cannot be solved by keeping silent."

"When the concern over possible protests leads to self-censorship, then the democratic culture of free speech becomes endangered."

At least someone there has had a lightbulb moment!

[Stultis]

[*VERY LONG STRING OF MOST INDECOROUS EXPLETIVES DECOROUSLY DELETED*] When will the media, the liberal intelligentsia and liberal governments stop treating the dictates of extremist/wahhabist Islam as normative?!

There is NO universally recognized prohibition in Islam against depicting Mohammad. This, as an outright prohibition, is a dictate of extremist/wahhabist Islam.

I've got a (piously positive) biography of Mohammad by a Turkish Sunni/Sufist Muslim that reproduces DOZENS AND DOZENS of paintings of Mohammad. Granted many obscure his face, sometimes in a veil of holy flame, but many others do NOT, instead depicting the face clearly and distinctly.

This practice of Westerners mainstreaming extremist Islam is killing us. What's more it's probably the most effective way you could possibly think of to discourage anti-Islamist Muslims from publicly challenging the extremists. If their liberal, Western governments so readily submit, why should they think they will be supported and protected?

[Karliner]

Agree with your statement on the Wahabi extremists killing America and freedom of speech in general. Bugger them.

It's time for the world to awaken to them hastening a severe all out war vs anyone not bowing to their murderous alleged prophet. I remember them in Indonesia during Suharto's reign. Not pretty.

There's an old movie line(can't remember the movie)an actor exclaims" You want to talk? talk. You want to fight? then fight." Time to fight for our very way of life and existence. I'm tired of them thinking we're going to kowtow to their blatant threats and lack of tolerance

BTW shalom Bwahahahahahaha