Now Germany Bows to Muhammad

Submitted by Len (United States), Sep 27, 2006 at 08:49

In Germany, Mozart Bows to Mohammed
On the eve of the first German Islam Conference, a Berlin opera house has sparked controversy for canceling a Mozart show due to threats of Islamist violence. The Deutsche Opera said in a statement security risks presented to the company by Berlin's police had caused them to cancel their show "Idomeneo," a Mozart opera in which King Idomeneo sets the severed heads of religious figures, including the Prophet Mohammed and Jesus Christ, on chairs and laughs at them.

The scene would pose an "incalculable security risk" for the house and its visitors, the opera said in a statement. The decision has sparked extensive furor in Germany, with top political and cultural figures arguing the threat of violent retaliation should not constrain freedom of expression in a Western democracy. (UPI)

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