Coming to Berlin

The Mozart opera cancelled in Berlin because of fear that Muslims would react violently to an added scene that included the decapitated head of Mohammed (along with the heads of other religious figures) is headed to the stage. BBC reports:

The Deutsche Oper in the German capital said the production of Idomeneo will be staged after it received a new security assessment from the police. Four performances of the opera were dropped in September after the risks of staging it were deemed “incalculable”.

The decision, taken in the wake of the Danish Muhammad cartoons row, sparked a debate about free speech in Germany. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called the decision crazy and Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against “self-censorship out of fear”.

On Thursday, the police told the opera company that its staff faced “no concrete danger” if the performances went ahead, and would discuss any possible security measures ahead of the performances. Deutsche Opera issued a statement saying it “had begun without delay the relevant preparations for reviving the opera”.

Don’t worry, though. There will be something new for the Religion of Perptual Outrage to threaten violence over soon enough.

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