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December 18, 2006

Germany: Muslims Refuse To Attend Mohammed Opera

On September 25 Germany's main opera house, the Berlin-based Deutsche Oper, announced that it had cancelled a production of Mozart's opera "Idomeneo". The opera contains no references to Mohammed, founder of Islam, but the director of the scheduled production decided to add some extras. Hans Neuenfels had first presented his amended version of Idomeneo in December 2003, and then it had incited some outrage.

In one scene, the hero of the opera is singing, while the severed heads of Mohammed (pictured), Christ, Buddha and Poseidon are carried onto the stage by the king of Crete, and are placed on four chairs. A theme of the original 1781 opera was about the sacrifice of humans to a sea monster sent by a deity (Poseidon), and Neuenfels had expanded the theme to condemn all organized religions.

Originally scheduled to be performed on November 5, 8, 15, and 18, the director of Deutsche Oper, Kirsten Harms decided that the production could be on the receiving end of Muslim retaliation. She said that Ehrhart Korting, the regional Interior Senator, had warned her in August. Harms said that the senator had claimed to love the "Deutsche Oper very much, drives past it every day and wouldn't like it if it weren't there anymore".

The staff of the opera house had agreed with the decision.

However, the move to abandon the production, for fear of how Muslims may have reacted, was condemned by politicians, such as Berlin's mayor, Klaus Wowereit, and the Deputy Parliamentary Speaker, Wolfgang Thierse. The latter said: "This is a very dangerous sign about fears of violence motivated by Islam in Germany. Has it come so far that we must limit artistic expression? What will be next?"

Peter Ramsauer, head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), said that the decision to drop Idomeneo was motivated by a "naked fear of Violence", and was an act of "pure cowardice". Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's Interior Minister warned that by showing too much sensitivity to Muslim sensibilities, the non-Muslim world "will not succeed in convincing people" that free speech and tolerance "are better than fundamentalism." Even Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is said to love opera, condemned Deitsche Oper's"self-censorship out of fear".

Muslim reactions seemed tolerant. The head of Germany's Islamic Council, Ali Kizilkaya, agreed that an image of a severed head of Mohammed "would offend Muslims" but observed: "I think it is horrible that one has to be afraid...That is not the right way to open dialogue."

Kenan Kolat, a leader of the German Turkish community said: "This is about art, not about politics. We should not make art dependent on religion - then we are back in the Middle Ages."

Following widespread criticism to withdraw the production, Deutsche Oper reconsidered its decision. Tonight, the opera will be shown at the Opera House, with another performance on December 29.

According to DPA, two notable figures in Germany's Muslim community have refused to attend either of the two performances.

In November, the Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble invited Ali Kizilkaya, head of the Islamic Council, to attend tonight's performance. Kizilkaya refused. Schaeuble is said to be at the Deutsche Oper, with Klaus Wowereit and the federal minister for cultural affairs, Bernd Neumann.

On Sunday, Aiman Mazyek, secretary general of the Central Council of Muslims told Tagespeigel newspaper: "I go to the opera to relax and not to be thrown into the same pot with religion, art and politics. I am a member of a religious community, not an arts critic or responsible for matters of taste."

According to Associated Press, Deutsche Oper's spokesman Alexander Busche has said that electronic scanners will be operating at all gates. Kenan Kolat, the Turkish community leader, is scheduled to attend. Neuenfels, the director, will not be attending.

DL-Online states that the original four heads which had been intended to appear in the withdrawn November performances had disappeared - either stolen by pranksters or mislaid. The heads have been remade.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 18, 2006 3:24 PM

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Posted by: stevedecatur at December 19, 2006 2:06 PM

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