How far have political correctness and political fears gone? This far:
One of Germany’s leading opera houses has unleashed an angry debate over free speech by canceling a production over security fears because a scene featured the severed heads of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed.
The Deutsche Oper Berlin yesterday said it had decided “with great regret” to cancel a planned production of Mozart’s Idomeneo after city security officials warned of an “incalculable risk” because of scenes dealing with Islam, as well as other religions.
Kirsten Harms, the director of the Deutsche Oper, said that the Berlin state police had warned of a possible – but not certain – threat and that she decided it would be in the best interest of the safety of the opera house, its employees and patrons to cancel the production.
Perhaps you didn’t know that Mozart is considered offensive and should be banned.
But the uproar has been over the more modern staging: Mozart didn’t include cut off heads originally (it takes a modern mind to add that). Even so, the opera was staged with the controversial scenes three years ago.
It’s just that some things have changed since then, such as the boundaries of free speech, what art is permissible, how far people who write, draw and perform are willing to go to perform their freedoms to do what they have been able to do for many years, and what is deemed PC (or dangerous to your physical health):
After its premiere in 2003, the production by Hans Neuenfels drew widespread criticism over a scene in which King Idomeneo presents the severed heads not only of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, but also of Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed.
“We know the consequences of the conflict over the [Mohammed] caricatures,” the opera house said in a statement. “We believe that needs to be taken very seriously and hope for your support.”
While some said they understood the decision, a broad spectrum of politicians opposed it.
The leader of Germany’s Islamic Council welcomed the decision, saying a depiction of Mohammed with a severed head “could certainly offend Muslims.”
“Nevertheless, of course I think it is horrible that one has to be afraid,” Ali Kizilkaya said. “That is not the right way to open dialog.”
Dieter Glietsch, head of the Berlin state police, said: “One can find nothing wrong if, in a climate that’s already tense between Islam and the western world, people avoid heating up the situation further through a scene that can – and perhaps even must – be taken as provocative by pious Muslims.”
Meanwhile, on the other hand:
Many others, including Germany’s senior security official, Wolfgang Schäuble, the interior minister, condemned the decision, which came ahead of a conference on Islam planned for today. “That is crazy,” Mr Schäuble told reporters in Washington DC, where he was holding meetings with American officials.
Berlin’s mayor, Klaus Wowereit, said that “with all understanding for the concern about the security of spectators and performers, I consider the decision of the director to be wrong.
“Our ideas about openness, tolerance and freedom must be lived out on the offensive. Voluntary self-limitation gives those who fight against our values a confirmation in advance that we will not stand behind them.”
The New York Times has more, including this:
Berlin’s chief security official, Ehrhart Körting, drew a parallel between the decision and that of German newspapers earlier this year to resist reprinting the cartoons depicting Muhammad.
“Even the German journalists’ association criticized the reprinting of the cartoons because their publication could hurt the religious feelings of one group of people,� Mr. Körting said in a statement.
Muslim leaders in Germany reacted cautiously. Several planned to participate in a conference on Wednesday organized by the government to foster a better dialogue with Germany’s 3.2 million Muslims.
The leader of the Islamic Council, Ali Kizilkaya, told a radio station in Berlin that he welcomed the cancellation, saying a depiction of decapitated Muhammad “could certainly offend Muslims.�
Yes, there is that argument.
Except that now if that same standard is used, if there are scenes offensive to Christians, Jews, or Hindus in opera, movies, musicals or stained glass windows perhaps to be consistent they also should be hidden, removed or (it may come to this) banned.
Will this standard be applied to all groups that find something offensive in a performance or staging?
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.