[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?

[good old days]

Ping

[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

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.