Fear and anger

Which one comes first? They’re both in full blaze across the world. Now this:

 A leading opera house called off a production of Mozart’s “Idomeneo” that features the severed head of the Prophet Mohammed, setting off a furious debate Tuesday over Islam, freedom of speech and the role of art.

The furor is the latest in Europe over religious sensitivities — following cartoons of the prophet first published in a Danish newspaper and recent remarks by Pope Benedict XVI decrying holy war.

Kirsten Harms, director of Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, announced “with great regret” that she had decided to cancel the three year old production after state security officials warned it could provoke dangerous reactions in the current politically charged climate.

Safe to say that if editorial cartoons set off the months of violent rage in the Islamic world, a beheaded prophet is only going to make it worse. That’s stating the obvious.

Muslims aren’t the only ones who would be offended by this production, by the way.

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 Mohammed, Jesus and Buddha.

So, in the name of artistic expression, they go after just about everyone but the golden calf.

Look, folks, this was not necessary.

The severed heads are an addition by director Neuenfels to the 225-year-old opera, which was last performed by the company in March 2004.

So for around two and a quarter centuries, the opera was performed as originally written, without the graphic statement. And that’s what it is.

Neuenfels has insisted his staging not be altered, saying the scene where the king presents the severed heads represents his protest against “any form of organized religion or its founders.”

Whose protest against “any form of organized religion or its founders” is it? The king character’s, or the director who re-wrote the thing?