Intimidation Through Violence Works

The fear of Muhammed:

German opera house dumps Mozart opera depicting Mohammed

Berlin- One of Germany's leading opera houses, Deutsche Oper Berlin, announced Monday that it was cancelling a controversial production because of the likelihood that it might offend Muslims. The original opera, Idomeneo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, makes no reference to Islam, but director Hans Neuenfels introduced a scene to his production that depicts the decapitated heads of the Prophet Mohammed, Jesus Christ, the Buddha and the Greek god Poseidon.

It caused outrage at the premiere in 2003. The opera company said it was cancelling plans to revive the show next month after advice from security authorities in Berlin that the performances posed an "incalculable" security risk.

You know, we're afraid of getting blown up.

Update: "That is crazy":

Others, including Germany's top security official, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, condemned the decision, which came ahead of a conference on Islam planned for Wednesday.

"That is crazy," Schaeuble told reporters in Washington, where he was holding meetings with U.S. officials. "This is unacceptable."

Update: Outrage in Germany. Civic outrage, that is:

Political and cultural figures throughout Germany condemned the cancellation. Some said it recalled the decision of European newspapers not to reprint satirical cartoons about Muhammad, after their publication in Denmark generated a furor among Muslims.

Wolfgang Boernsen, a culture spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc in Parliament, accused the opera house of "falling on its knees before the terrorists."

"It is a signal to other stages in Germany, or even elsewhere in Europe, to put no works on their programs that criticize Islam," he said.

Ace of Spades to the Germans: "you're blithely tossing it away one little bit at a time, you craven teutonic pissant swine."

Update: Michelle Malkin points out more events that hurt the feelings of muslims all around the globe. Let me add "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Pink Piglet" to Michelle's list.

Sensibility

















Cox&Forkum

Update: Allahpundit has a question for the Times.