Mozart opera dropped over safety fears
The DPA reports that one of Germany’s leading opera houses, The Deutche Oper Berlin, has cancelled a production of Mozart’s Idomedeo out of fear that it might offend Muslims.
Hans Neuenfels’s production was first shown in 2003, when it caused controversy by introducing a scene the depicts the decapitated heads of Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and the Greek god Poseidon. King Idomeneo is shown bringing out the four heads and placing them on chairs. Neuenfels intended the production to be an attack on world religions.
The latest production was cancelled on advice from security authorities, who said it posed an “incalculable” risk.
It should be noted that the opera house received no threats from anyone. The decision is a case of self-censorship.
‘The decision is a case of self-censorship.’ Yes, indeedy. Muslims the world over can rub their hands in glee. No need to protest now – the job’s done. The west is censoring itself right, left and centre (and you can read that as positional or political). I think I’ll go and cry into my beer, while we’re still allowed to have it.
Incalculable…i.e. did not bother to calculate just thought…Mohammed..Muslim…Islam…unthinking, irrational, reactive, nut-jobs.
And so it starts in earnest. THe nutjobs of all religions have won: they just need to ‘attack’ any criticism laid at their door with threats and people will shut up and their made-up religions will carry on.
There’s an article on the Beeb about this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5382554.stm
Note that there, politicians come out AGAINST this sort of censorship.