Opera withdrawn over Islamist threat

[Mirorgate 0]

Opera is gay.

well yes, Opera can be Happy at times... other times... well.. it is Italian after all

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Jihad is gay too.

[Mirorgate 0]

Jihad is gay too.

"Achmed... is that a detonator in your trousers? Or just happy for the Paradise and white raisins?"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Ayyub Axel Koehler, the head of the Central Council of Muslims, one of Germany's largest Muslim groups, on Tuesday told the foreign press corps in Berlin he did not want to comment directly on the Idomeneo cancellation, but gave his general opinion on the issue:

"While we are absolutely in agreement with the need for a free press, free opinion and free arts, we also think that there are certain limits to those freedoms," he said. "If there are issues that most deeply hurt the feelings of believers, then one should be considerate, as it should be normal among civilized persons."

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligen...26-024204-9106r

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

Jihad is gay too.

"Achmed... is that a detonator in your trousers? Or just happy for the Paradise and white raisins?"

oooo you are so gonna get a fatwah for that!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Thought it said OPRAH withdrawn over Islamist threat. Gotta slow down on my reading.

She's next.

[almaty 19]

Jihad is gay too.

now you done it..i am going to have to declare jihad on your Indian azz and drive to that hellhole state of new jersey...

Edited September 27, 2006 by almaty

[Mirorgate 0]

Jihad is gay too.

now you done it..i am going to have to declare jihad on your Indian azz and drive to that hellhole state of new jersey...

Dont do it man! Jersey aint worth drivin around in! you could end up in NYC

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Jihad is gay too.

now you done it..i am going to have to declare jihad on your Indian azz and drive to that hellhole state of new jersey...

bring it on beeyotch

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

Jihad is gay too.

now you done it..i am going to have to declare jihad on your Indian azz and drive to that hellhole state of new jersey...

bring it on beeyotch

have nurse gimy standing by for another patient

[almaty 19]

Jihad is gay too.

now you done it..i am going to have to declare jihad on your Indian azz and drive to that hellhole state of new jersey...

bring it on beeyotch

damn, where is my plastic explosive belt??...i think sanita has it on the bassett hound...arijit, can i have a rain check on the jihad???

Edited September 27, 2006 by almaty

[pedroh 21]

Get rid of the Islamic extremists instead of the opera. They should be canceled! First Londonstan and now Berlinstan. Where will it end?

when the french islamist republic is consolidated.. down there in france is bad...

[mawilson 2,133]

I'm so tired of Londinistan and Britainistan that I could puke.

Me too, but this one's about Germanistan.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans on Wednesday not to bow to fears of Islamic violence after a Berlin opera house canceled a Mozart work over concerns some scenes could enrage Muslims and pose a security risk.

"I think the cancellation was a mistake. I think self-censorship does not help us against people who want to practise violence in the name of Islam," she told reporters. "It makes no sense to retreat."

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews....=rss&rpc=22

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans on Wednesday not to bow to fears of Islamic violence after a Berlin opera house canceled a Mozart work over concerns some scenes could enrage Muslims and pose a security risk.

"I think the cancellation was a mistake. I think self-censorship does not help us against people who want to practise violence in the name of Islam," she told reporters. "It makes no sense to retreat."

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews....=rss&rpc=22

I think its interesting that the German government has weighed in on this. While caving into a perceived threat is certainly less than desirable, the obvious question that immediately springs to mind is - if the Opera were to have gone ahead would the German law enforcement (and by extension the German Govt) prepared to step in to protect the performers? Is it an actors duty to risk their life by singing or performing in an opera?

This calls into question part of the current rhetoric over the "war on terror" - specifically that it is the duty of our governments to protect the values of western civilisation. Do they really have the political will to do so?

Something else I was reading was that the "Severed heads" are an addition to the opera specific to this production. Regardless of any perceived "offense", I would also ask whether or not this adds enough to the opera to justify its inclusion. Of course without seeing the opera and being familiar with the story its difficult to put forward a competant opinion. Incidentally, a number of German muslim groups are calling for the opera to be shown for precisely this reason.