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.

[Rutles4Ever]

Oh well. I suppose the brow-beating of Western culture shouldn't stop at political cartoons. Not even Mozart is safe.

Good night, Europe.

[Unam Sanctam]

Dhimmitude and self-censorship. So long freedom of speech... Hello, Universal Caliphate...

[x_plus_one]

Hello blue laws!!!

[the invisib1e hand]

what'd you expect from the land that closed an eye to The Final Solution?

[the invisib1e hand]

Dhimmitude and self-censorship. So long freedom of speech... Hello, Universal Caliphate...

What, you live in Duetscheland?

[good old days]

Ping

[x_plus_one]

Blue laws will be making a comeback in favor of Muslim holidays - it's the sensitive and politcally correct thing to do...

From Wikipedia...

One of the last remaining blue laws in the United States that covers virtually all selling is found in Bergen County, New Jersey.

It has produced the ironic situation that one of the largest and most popular commercial shopping cores of the New York metropolitan area, is almost completely closed on Sunday (grocery stores are allowed to operate).

Paramus, whose four major shopping malls account for a significant proportion of the over $5 billion in annual retail sales generated in the borough, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States[3], has blue laws that are even more restrictive than those imposed in the rest of the County.

Bergen County has significant Jewish and Muslim populations whose observant members would not be celebrating their Sabbath on Sunday with most of their Christian brethren.

The substantial Orthodox Jewish minority is placed in the position of being unable to shop either on Sunday (due to the blue laws) or on Saturday (due to religious observance).

However, repeated attempts to lift the law have failed as many locals either see keeping the law on the books as a protest against the growing trend toward increasing hours and days of commercial activity in American society or enjoy the sharply reduced traffic on major roads and highways on Sunday that is normally seen the other days of the week.

In fact, a large part of the reason for maintaining the laws has been a desire for relative peace and quiet one day of the week by many Bergen County residents.

This desire for relative peace is most apparent in Paramus, where most of the county's largest shopping malls are located, along the intersecting highways of Route 4 and Route 17, which are jam-packed on many Saturdays.

[El Gato]

authorities warned it could present an "incalculable security risk".

So ring the place with Claymore mines. Put snipers, with low light capability, on the roof. Screen everyone through explosive detectors. Anyone who looks the least bit middle eastern, or Chechnyian, gets extra attention (Strip search).

Kill as many Jihadies as possible when they attack. Ditto if they so much as approach the place in "protest".

Won't happen, these are the new "sensitive" Germans. Until that is, they decide it's once again time to go rampaging across Europe.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Not even Mozart is safe."

Perhaps they'll replace the show with a performance of:

[Merry]

Aren't they afraid of Greeks, Christians and Buddhists committing violent acts and tearing down the theater? This is so absurd that it borders on comedy. The religion of peace has the entire world trembling in fear lest they offend a crazed, violent Muslim.

[lesser_satan]

bump

[usurper]

I don’t know, I am finding it kind of funny that the anti-religious leftists who love the multicultural world view are being confronted with the inextricable paradoxes of their belief system.

[Dark Skies]

It isn't only Germany. Which country is bravely flouting the threats of the jihadis?

I agree very much with your suggestion. Defend the arts with snipers and other armaments.

Art that is only purdy pitchers ain't art. Art is art when is has something to say. And the number one thing to say in this world today is "take your dhimmitude and shove it up yur keester."

[cloud8]

European immigrant Moslems go to the opera????

[unspun]

I don't suppose the Germans hesitated to show the blasphemic "Jesus Christ, Superstar," did they?

[TomGuy]

The Muslim outrage is winning, and we are letting it.

They've already started altering literature in Turkey to 'conform'.

The Pope has been threatened and condemned for quoting an Emperor from centuries ago.

Is Western civilization so weak that is it cowering in fear at offending Muslims over such minutia?

[Rutles4Ever]

Shrinking violet PING

[montag813]

King Idomeneo presents the lopped-off heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and the Prophet Mohammed and displays them on four chairs.

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

[Earthdweller]

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

LMBO!

[Red6]

There is no need in intentionally aggravating the situation. There is no good done in pushing the moderates towards the direction of the radicals.

However, you can NOT appease mad angry Muslims who still live in a time where you convert people at swords edge. The Pope said nothing wrong or bad. There was no need to apologize for nothing wrong was done. But people who 'want to be mad' will find a reason to be mad.

Of course the elitist Europeans quickly claimed Bush to be ignorant and uncultured (The typical cliché) because of his insensitive reference to the Crusades in a speech years ago (After 3,000 Americans died), but in reality even then, in context nothing wrong was said. But as with the Danish cartoons or with the words of the Pope, mad people will find a reason to be mad. Bush is simply disliked in secular liberal Chirac/Schroeder land and any angle to attack him is legitimate in their eyes.

Already now, the climate in much of Europe is changing. Many Europeans are fair weather friends who would demand our help if in trouble. However, some of those same nations under the pretense of national sovereignty and false moral justification will deny help to the US if we are attacked, which is quiet literally what happened. These are the same nations that state it’s all about the oil and that nations have nothing but ‘interests’. Today, they are beginning to realize, it is in ‘their interest’ to stand with us. They ‘too’ are an infidel, only a lower priority target, for the time being at least. As time goes on, the truth becomes more and more apparent, and even those who subtly claimed that a global war on terror is all just the fantasy of George Bush, are having a harder and harder time pretending all is safe and OK.

I guess, as long as they don't have to pay but can reap all the rewards the 'schmarotzer' (leaches) out there will play their game. But when push comes to shove, they have no choice and they do know what's on the line. Even in 2003 and 2004 at the hight of the anti-Bush rhetoric, France and Germany began monitoring Mosques, deporting belligerents, tightening down immigration laws, and enforcing them with more vigor. Why? Because they see the threat. If forced, they will fight, but they would simply rather see the US burn up its resources, sit back and arm chair criticize, while making deals since after all, they are the nice guy and we are the bad guy.

'Some' in Europe are playing a game, a game that was played for decades even in the Cold War. While protected by NATO some contributed little to nothing and claimed they were neutral, or NATO was bad, or whatever else. Again, false moral arguments surfaced and were circulated that basically turned the world on its head. In the end, what it really was about is "Let the other guy pay for it while we benefit for free". But would these nations have fought like hell had they been invaded? Absolutely.

Today it's no different. As they begin seeing the threat and realize they too are affected and it's unavoidable, they begin taking action.