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Tuesday, 03 October 2006 18:03 |
| John North
Editor & Publisher |
Artistic freedom is a value that I cherish and it bothers me greatly when certain Western interests seem to continually accede to the sensitivities of Muslim fanatics.
In a story that continues to twist and turn, I recently read of Deutsche Oper Berlin, a leading opera house in Berlin, initially cancelling a Mozart opera because of its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad.
The controversy arose over a scene, added by the director since 2003, that shows the decapitated heads of Muhammad, Jesus, Poseidon and Buddha. Word got out about the revision and, in the aftermath, the police warned of "incalculable risk" to the performers and the audience of violence from Muslims who were likely to be enraged by what they might view as blasphemy.
Moreover,
an anonymous threat against the production, "Idomeneo," received by the
police in August, resulted in the operaës cancellation. It had been
scheduled for the fall season. A firestorm of protest erupted.
The companyës director, Kirsten Harms, said the decision was regrettable, but that she made it after extensive consideration.
However, the
latest developments give me cause for optimism. At a long-anticipated
conference last week on issues that divide Germanyës Muslims and
non-Muslims, the vote was unanimous that the show must go on. This was
from a body that was comprised of 30 representatives, drawn equally
from the German government and its Muslim population.
While the
reasons were different for the confereeës decision, that in itself is a
good sign. After all, despite different perspectives, prominent German
Muslim and non-Muslim leaders agreed that artistic freedom is a value
to be cherished.
Not only did the
non-Muslim leaders adhere to the German values of free speech, but, at
the same time, Muslim leaders, many of whom probably strongly disagreed
with the operaës depiction, likewise felt that it should not be
cancelled.
In the
aftermath, a Berlin cultural official said the city would like to
reschedule "Idomeneo" as soon as possible. Of course, Harms said that
the opera is open to rescheduling.
Some critics have contended that Harms was poorly advised by the police and others, resulting in the operaës cancellation.
Others lamented
that, after Pope Benedict XVIës repeated "apologies" for recent
comments in his native Bavaria that were construed as anti-Muslim,
Germans had lost their courage and were showing an alarming propensity
to cave in to intimidation ÇƒÓ even at the mere threat of violence from
Muslims.
Ultimately, this
whole episode shows that the will of the people, including many
Muslims, for Enlightenment values was heard ÇƒÓ and heeded ... for the
benefit of all.
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