German Opera Depicting Muhammad Beheading to Proceed Thursday, November 16, 2006
Willing to offend Muslims, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin has renewed its plan to stage the controversial opera Idomeneo December 18 and 29. The opera depicts the beheading of the Muslim prophet Muhammad.
After German police conducted a security review, the opera was cancelled. The police warned the beheading could pose an “‘incalculable’ security risk, possibly sparking violent reactions from Muslims.” Initially out of fear, Kirsten Harms of Deutsche Oper cancelled the production. The Oper cited last year's cartoon riots, which occured around the world after satirical cartoons of the prophet Muhammad were published in Denmark. “We know the consequences of the conflict over the [Muhammad] caricatures,” the opera company said.
The debate to behead Muhammad has also divided the Muslim community and German politicians over cultural sensitivities. The Muslim community is dismayed over the depiction, but Chancellor Angela Merkel decided that Germany should not be pushed around, calling the initial decision to cancel the play “self-censorship out of fear.”
Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble also called the decision to cancel the opera “crazy.”
Perhaps as a result of political pressure, or from the fact that the police hurriedly back-peddled from their original security assesment, Kirsten Harms of the Deutche Oper switched the decision to pull the performance, stating, “It is necessary to show this opera and to fight against the fear of Islamic radicalism. I think we have to or this terrorism will get bigger and bigger.”
By this point, the debate had clearly shifted. Instead of Germans arguing among themselves whether the beheading would offend Muslims and posed a security risk, the debate became about Germany having the right to practice its own culture.
The end result? The beheading must go on.
By deciding to stage the play, Germany has drawn a line in the sand: Germany will not allow fear of terrorism to dictate its national decisionmaking, at least in matters involving artistic expression.
But also, awareness in Germany is growing that Europe is in a culture war with the radical Muslim community. The multiculturalism affecting many European nations and inspiring sweeping allowances for the Muslim community simply is not a traditional German trait. As history demonstrates, Germany has always sought to dominate, not be dominated; to dictate, not be dictated to.
Watch for Germany to increasingly stand up to threats of terrorism and radical Islam.
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