Posted on 10/02/2006 1:18:57 PM PDT by Pokey78
Spanish villages are toning down traditional fiestas, in which dummies representing the Prophet Mohammed are blown up, for fear of offending Muslims.
One eastern Spanish village, Bocairent, decided to abandon the custom of packing the head of a dummy representing Mohammed with fireworks after seeing the angry Muslim response to a Danish newspaper's publication last year of cartoons of him.
Spanish newspaper El Pais also found that several other villages in the Valencia region had also held back on celebrations this year.
It carried out the investigation after a Berlin opera house decided last week to cancel performances of Mozart's "Idomeneo" because the production included a scene depicting Mohammed's severed head.
Bocairent's mayor, Antonio Valdes, said blowing up the Mohammed dummy was offensive.
"It just wasn't necessary, and as it could hurt some people's feelings, we decided not to do it," he said.
The village may not have blown up the wood-and-cardboard Mohammed dummy this year - but it still threw it off a castle wall at the fiesta's climax in February.
Villages all over Spain hold annual festivals to commemorate the "Reconquista'", the reconquest of Spain by Christians from the Moors, which was completed in 1492 after more than 700 years of Muslim rule in much of the country.
Spain is now once again home to a growing number of Muslims, mainly Moroccan immigrants, who villagers feel might be offended by some of their traditional celebrations.
Good dhimmis.
Can you still buy them? I'd like to have a few...
Better not blow up any dummies of Hitler. Might offend some Nazis.
Coming up next: Expurgated editions of The Divine Comedy.
Don't make the killer bees made at you or they will kill you.
I am trying really hard to understand why an exploding Mohammed would offend Muslims. I thought Muslims loved exploding Muslims.
The more people go out of their way not to offend Muslims the more likely it becomes that Muslims get offended/enraged at the slightest thing.
I was kinda wonderin' if you could find 'em on eBay...
His entrails are offensive as well no doubt.
The "blow-up" Osama is a big hit in SC fireworks stores.
I'll bet this would be a non-issue if the character was George W. Bush.
They tend to pull things of this sort. I've seen former Soviet mobile missile launchers for sale though...
I wonder if any real life muslims will blow themselves up in response to this.
The #@4%6@ MOOOslims are offended just because we EXIST. We should do everything possible to REALLY piss 'em off.
I think the bobblehead Mohammed is hilarious.
Sounds like they need another "Reconquista" now that they've surrendered.
Note to firework manufacturers: Design a a novelty that when lit, spins around shooting sparks out of his turban and rear end. Make it blow up afterward. You'll sell thousands!
fear of USA bad
fear of Mohamed good
The EU is stuck on stupid.
U.S. Drops Exploding Mohammeds From B-1 Bombers On Islamo-Nazi Festivities"
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