German Opera Company Cancels Mozart Performance Fearing Religious Violence

In Germany, Deutsche Oper has cancelled a production of Mozart's "Idomeneo" with a scene featuring the severed heads of Jesus, Buddha and the Prophet Muhammad, out of fear of violent reactions by Muslims. German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the decision to cancel the performance, saying that self-censorship out of fear would not be tolerated. Stories in the International Herald Tribune and the Washington Post discuss the reactions across Germany.