after the recent ridiculous and violent protests by some muslims against the comments by pope, which should not have been offensive to anybody who actually read the pope's lecture (for which imo he should not have apologized), we now have the cancellation of an adapted staging of the opera idomeneo by mozart. this adaptation by director hans neuenfels featured severed heads of muhammad, jesus, and buddha (see above pic from der spiegel's website).no doubt the religious chauvinists of all kinds here will approve this latest example of chickening out on the part of western 'liberals', while politically correct peaceniks everywhere will support it as showing tolerance and sensitivity to other 'cultures'.
imo, as i said when cartoon controversy was going on, there should not be any curb on freedom of expression, even if the intent was to give offense, as long as others are allowed the same freedom. i agree with the mayor of berlin who said, "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". that is true not only in berlin but everywhere.
intolerance should not be tolerated
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update
there is news that cancellation was canceled after criticism. good.
2 comments:
100% agree with ya!
**there should not be any curb on freedom of expression
spot on!
as long as it's not violence, why not allow someone to speak how they honestly feel?
I agree with Pope. And no one has the right to threaten to kill etc just cos someone spoke their mind.
Keshi.
the conflicts b/w christianity and islam has been there since the emergence of islam. it will continue until neither one is vying to be the dominant religion in the world. so, there is no point about that anymore.
the pope did nothing wrong, it was the illiteracy of the self proclaimed leaders of islam that caused all the ruckus. the fact that they didn't understand the words and I Quote" which were repeated three times is no one's fault except their own. the pope was however wrong to apologize. the apology depicts a position that everybody else is afraid of the islamic temperament and will do what they can to appease them. thats the last thing anybody needs.
i came across an itneresting post relating to all of the things in sittingnuts post. located at notasaudiprincess.blogspot.com
i think it highlights the societal misconceptions inherent in every culture - except in this case it is not an arab having an attack of verbal diarrhoea, but an american.
as for josh in berlin - i have to say this. the play should not have been cancelled in the first place. but it was and then reinstated. we don't gain anything by provoking extremists, but we do show the world and that we are not cowed by a few of them. that our principles are intact. our values are the same. you decry a play that was cancelled, but who on the side of the extremists decry the beheadings? the abductions?
art is a way for us humans to express ourselves. it vents our feelings, emotions and gives voice and imagery to things we don't even realize are there. we take on current issues with subtleness and tact. present it in a way that is palatable to all - except those who do not wish to see the truth. it is a forum. the day we start censoring ourselves is the day we begin to decay. you should watch Equilibirum. that movie, as messed up as it is shows the possible extent that people will go to in order to appease everybody. you may laugh, its a movie. it can't happen. look at the current state of the world today, the way old treaties are re-defined and ask your dad or grand father if THEY thought something like that will ever happen? the world united after WW II and created the UN. what has become of it now? how effective has it been in preventing conflicts since its inception? did the creators of that at that time think it will ever happen? look at the pattern and you will see that in maybe 100 to 200 years god only know how the world would have changed. you may shrug it off saying its beyond your lifetime so why do you care? if you don't, who will?
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