Delegates at a conference of the German government and the country's Muslim community say they would go and see an opera deemed offensive to Islam together - if it is ever staged. The declaration followed a day of talks overshadowed by the cancellation of Mozart's Idomeneo. Chancellor Angela Merkel has joined the cry for the Deutsche Oper to rethink its decision to drop the show. "I think the cancellation was a mistake," she said. "I don't think self-censorship helps us against people who want to practise violence in the name of Islam." The Deutsche Oper in Berlin said it was withdrawing the production, due to open in November, over concerns it could offend Muslims and provoke a security threat. First performed in 2003, one scene includes the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. There was virtually no reaction at the time from the country's 3.2 million Muslims. But since then has come the bloody protests sparked by the publication of Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed, and the more recent unrest provoked by Pope Benedict when he quoted a medieval text linking the spread of Islam and violence. Source: [link=http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=382024&lng=1]EuroNews[/link]
Islam is the arabic word meaning peace. Against everything. I think those muslims are not muslims. They are unpeace full. I think expression of any art form is important. A story needs to be told from anyones perspective. I don't even know what the opera is about. If it is just about taking the piss out of religiouns then its not like it hasn't been done before. Besided the people or spirits who need to be offended are mohammeds jesus and etc. But they are much wiser that to stup down to the same level of the offender opera producer. The opera should be saved. And the muslim community should do a opera in response if they hate it so much.
