Opera Cancelled In Germany For Being Offensive To Muslims ( Uncanelled )

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Muslim anger fear halts opera

A leading opera house called off a production of Mozart's "Idomeneo" that features the severed head of the Prophet Mohammed, setting off a furious debate Tuesday over Islam, freedom of speech and the role of art.

The furor is the latest in Europe over religious sensitivities -- following cartoons of the prophet first published in a Danish newspaper and recent remarks by Pope Benedict XVI decrying holy war.

***sten Harms, director of Berlin's Deutsche Oper, announced "with great regret" that she had decided to cancel the three year old production after state security officials warned it could provoke dangerous reactions in the current politically charged climate.



***sten Harms, director of Berlin's Deutsche Oper, has canceled Mozart opera over security fears.



After its premiere in 2003, the production by Hans Neuenfels drew widespread criticism over a scene in which King Idomeneo presents the severed heads not only of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, but also of Mohammed, Jesus and Buddha.

The severed heads are an addition by director Neuenfels to the 225-year-old opera, which was last performed by the company in March 2004.

Harms defended her decision, which she described as "weighing artistic freedom and freedom of a theater ... against the question of security for people's lives."

But the move immediately provoked strong reactions across Germany.

Outraged politicians called the decision to pull the production "crazy" and "a fatal signal" of caving into extremism. Response from Germany's Islamic community was mixed, with some praising the decision and others calling on Muslims to accept the role of provocation in art.

The leader of Germany's Islamic Council welcomed the move, saying a depiction of Mohammed with a severed head "could certainly offend Muslims."

But in an interview with German radio, Ali Kizilkaya added: "I think it is horrible that one has to be afraid ... That is not the right way to open dialogue."

The leader of Germany's Turkish community said it was time Muslims accepted freedom of expression in art.

"This is about art, not about politics," Kenan Kolat told Bavarian Radio. "We should not make art dependent on religion -- then we are back in the Middle Ages."

Neuenfels has insisted his staging not be altered, saying the scene where the king presents the severed heads represents his protest against "any form of organized religion or its founders."

"I stand behind my production and will not change it," Neuenfels told the Berliner Morgenpost in its Tuesday edition.

The opera house's decision comes after the German-born pope infuriated Muslims by quoting the words of a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."

Earlier this year, violent protests erupted across the Muslim world after a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons depicting Muhammad. The caricatures were reprinted by dozens of newspapers and Web sites in Europe and elsewhere, often in the name of freedom of expression.

Islamic law is interpreted to forbid any depiction of Mohammed for fear it could lead to idolatry.

"We know the consequences of the conflict over the (Mohammed) caricatures," Deutsche Oper said in a statement. "We believe that needs to be taken very seriously and hope for your support."

Berlin security officials had warned Harms that staging the opera could "in its originally produced form .... pose an incalculable security risk to the public and employees."

But Germany's interior minister condemned the cancellation.

"That is crazy," said Wolfgang Schaeuble, the country's top security official, speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C. "This is unacceptable."

It is not only Muslims who have been offended by depictions of religion in art.

Last month Madonna sparked criticism from some Roman Catholics in Germany for a show that staged a mock crucifixion. Mel Gibson's 2004 movie, "The Passion of Christ" met with disapproval from some Catholics and some Jews. In 2004, a Birmingham, England, theater canceled its run of "Behzti" after a violent protest by members of the Sikh community.

Still, many in normally open and tolerant Berlin, which has become a home for cutting edge and often contentious artistic productions, cautioned against compromising on issues of freedom of speech and art.

"Our ideas about openness, tolerance and freedom must be lived on the offensive. Voluntary self-limitation gives those who fight against our values a confirmation in advance that we will not stand behind them," said Mayor Klaus Wowereit.

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."

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

However, a lawyer for Mr. Neuenfels, Peter Raue, said Ms. Harms telephoned the director on Sept. 9 to tell him she planned to cancel the performances. The issue of tinkering with the ending never came up, Mr. Raue said, and in any event, “you couldn’t change it; it is part of the story.”

The scene devised by Mr. Neuenfels puts a sanguinary ending on an opera that, in the way Mozart wrote it, ends with King Idomeneo giving up his throne to appease the god of the sea, and blessing the romantic union of his son Idamante with the Greek princess Ilia.

The severed heads of the religious figures, Mr. Raue said, was meant by Mr. Neuenfels to make a point that “all the founders of religions were figures that didn’t bring peace to the world.”

André Kraft, spokesman for Komische Oper, a more adventurous opera house where Mr. Neuenfels is engaged in another Mozart production, described the 65-year-old director as “a secularist who does not believe religion solves the problems of the world.”

For the Deutsche Oper, the cancellation is a major crisis for a prestigious opera company that has been in transition. Founded in 1912 as the Deutsches Opernhaus, the company moved to its present building in western Berlin in 1961, opening with a production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”

Ms. Harms was appointed director in 2004, coming from a less prominent opera house in the northern German city of Kiel. While there, she said, she faced a bomb threat to the opera house. Ms. Harms plans to present her first production, a little-known work by Alberto Franchetti called “Germania,” on Oct. 15.

Some critics of the decision to cancel said it revealed the weaknesses of Berlin’s generously supported cultural institutions.

“Because they are subsidized by the German state, there is a great deal of artistic independence, but also a lack of accountability and intellectual rigor,” said Gary Smith, the director of the American Academy in Berlin.

The practice of updating classical operas — often with current political or social themes — is common in Germany. But the cancellation of “Idomeneo” could make this production a landmark of another kind.

“I’ve never heard of something like this, or even similar to it,” said Nikolaus Lehnhoff, a prominent German opera director. “I have seen many politically incorrect performances in Berlin. I think the reaction to the pope’s speech has sensitized the cultural scene.”

[Rasputin]

Mozart opera cancelled over severed 'god' heads

German politicians were aghast yesterday at a decision by a Berlin opera house to cancel performances of Mozart's Idomeneo over concerns they could enrage Muslims and pose a security risk.

The Deutsche Oper announced on Monday it was replacing four performances of Idomeneo scheduled for November with The Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata.

The decision was taken after Berlin security officials warned that putting on the opera as planned would present an "incalculable security risk" for the establishment.

In the production, directed by Hans Neuenfels, King Idomeneo staggers on stage next to the severed heads of Buddha, Jesus, Poseidon and the Prophet Muhammad, which are placed on chairs.

Two weeks ago, Pope Benedict sparked outrage in the Muslim world by quoting, in a speech in Germany, from a medieval text linking the spread of the Islamic faith to violence.

Last year, the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper sparked violent Muslim protests around the world.

German politicians denounced the opera house's move, with Wolfgang Thierse, the deputy parliamentary speaker, saying it highlighted a new threat to free artistic expression in Germany.

"Has it come so far that we must limit artistic expression?" he asked. "What will be next?"

Wolfgang Schaeuble, the Interior Minister, was also critical.

"We tend to become crazy if we start to forbid Mozart operas being played. We will not accept it," he told a news conference during a visit to Washington.

But ***sten Harms, director of the Deutsche Oper, defended her decision. She said Ehrhart Koerting, Berlin's top police official, had phoned her in mid-August and warned her of dire consequences if the opera house proceeded with its plan to go ahead with Idomeneo.

"If I had paid no attention and something had happened, everyone would rightly say that I had ignored the warnings," she said.

Mr. Koerting issued a statement confirming the conversation, but saying the decision to cancel Idomeneo had been Ms. Harms's alone. Police have said their concern was prompted by an anonymous phone call in June but they had no evidence of a specific threat.

The Deutsche Oper decision precedes a much-hyped meeting today between Mr. Schaeuble and representatives of the country's Muslim community to discuss ways to improve dialogue and integration.

About 3.2 million Muslims live in Germany, many of them Turks who arrived after the Second World War and helped fuel the country's postwar economic boom.

Fears of Islamic radicalization have increased recently, aggravated by a failed bomb attack on two German trains in July. Two Lebanese students have been arrested and German security officials believe they had help from a radical Islamic network.

[mike435]

dige shoresho daravordan

because of some radical fundimintalist we have to put art on hold

you know i wonder if it would work the other way

what if the western world were to not tolorate the hate coming from the islamic fundamentilist almost majority of the arab world
thene maybe that might halt it

if charchichers and comments about mohamad and plays are hatefull for radical islam and because the radicals go crazy and they are now succeeding in shuting up the hate(example the play) why not the western world do the same thing
it might break the hate cycle. it might deter thme from making hateful cartoons, from shouting out death to america and israel while they are praying in the religion of peace which they have hijaced and call it islam.


cant wait to see what europe will be in 20-30 years

[donsaeid]

hahaha! Let us make some about holocust!!! that wont you like!

i dislike dobble moral people!!! what you like for your self like it for others too!

[mike435]

hahaha! Let us make some about holocust!!! that wont you like!

i dislike dobble moral people!!! what you like for your self like it for others too!

i had a hunch you would bring in the holocust

ok here is the diffrance

holocust is diffrint in that it was a tragedy a humiliating thing that happened to people to a group of people ,were many died and yes 6 million died.
when you desecreat the holocust you desecreating those who perished in it. you are desecrating a fact. you are addaing to there humility
it would be as if some one comes and starts desecrating the sunnami victoms, lebonies civillian who died in the war, would you allow anyone to desecreat the memory of what happened to the infants in lebonan, would desecrate the memory of the young iranian kids who dies in the iran iraq war fighting as soldires in the battle field
and so what if freedom of speech allows you to desecreat the memory of the labonies infant who perishid would you excersie that would you allow it

if anything i think there is a daboul standerds of moral here

the profits we make fun of theme all the time look how many jokes there are about moses and jeuses. look at american media look how much they play around and make a mochary of moses jeuses and even g-d. best source familyguy some of the funniest one about moses and jeuses




do you see the diffrance

tragadys happening to a group of people is diffrnt from a payghambar like moses, jeuses, or mohamad. if one belive in so much that disrispecting these people is insainly bad let g-d deal with them.

[donsaeid]

the profits we make fun of theme all the time look how many jokes there are about moses and jeuses. look at american media look how much they play around and make a mochary of moses jeuses and even g-d. best source familyguy some of the funniest one about moses and jeuses

i have seen them

They are Christians mocking their own prophet! if muslim did that to Prophet ok but not a jew or christian!!! because they have other reasons for making that jokes...

and no! dont talk about jews or make joke about them because poor people they have atomic bombs!!! and alot of chemical and biological weapons!!!

Zionists are scum!!! as much as anyother extremists!!!

[mike435]

also desecrating the holocust should not be just a jewish concern but a humaniterian concern at the end of the day we are humanns.

dont get me wrong thogh you should be rational if you are in danger you should protect yourself

[mike435]

omg man there are jewish jokes left and right

writers of family guy i think thet are jewish how come christians dont go crazy and say lets getr the jew he made fun of our prophit

also man have a reality check here in the states comdians make racial jokes left and right have you heard of carlos mencia check his stuff if your the type that cant take a joke youll go crazy

here for the hell of it ill make a jewish joke

why were the jews lost in the desert for 40 years?
moses lost a quarter

what is a jewish dilema?
free ham

dont make a holocust joke that is antisemetic see the diffrance between being antisemetic and and making fun of jews

[mike435]

look i can see what you mean its just a caulture approach

muslims take it more seriously than others

to stop it they should do it in the right way not bring more attention to it

[donsaeid]

also desecrating the holocust should not be just a jewish concern but a humaniterian concern at the end of the day we are humanns.

dont get me wrong thogh you should be rational if you are in danger you should protect yourself

protection? killing 1000 children, women and old people is protection? give me a break!

Khoda kheiret bede!!!

[donsaeid]

omg man there are jewish jokes left and right

writers of family guy i think thet are jewish how come christians dont go crazy and say lets getr the jew he made fun of our prophit

also man have a reality check here in the states comdians make racial jokes left and right have you heard of carlos mencia check his stuff if your the type that cant take a joke youll go crazy

here for the hell of it ill make a jewish joke

why were the jews lost in the desert for 40 years?
moses lost a quarter

what is a jewish dilema?
free ham

dont make a holocust joke that is antisemetic see the diffrance between being antisemetic and and making fun of jews

put your jokes in joke section!

[mike435]

protection? killing 1000 children, women and old people is protection? give me a break!

Khoda kheiret bede!!!

amillion people under sieg in northern israel

acapable military that all its life trains to protect it citizen

you expect them to do nothing and let a major part of their population suffer

i dont think so. they will go after the enemy with the upmost caution not to hit civilians but if you have an enemy that hides behind cavilians unfortanatly with great sadnes they to perish

death of innocent cavillians dosent solve anyhing and makes things more complicated and belive israel dosent need more complications

tell me what should israel do just sit there let it towns and citys be rocketed
those who died died because of hezbolah israel did not want to cause civillian death