Berlin Opera Pulls Mohammed Scene

Mozart has become the new target of self-censorship. If only Wolfgang Amadeus had known it two centuries ago, he would not have composed his opera Idomeneo. It would have been politically incorrect.

It seems that Islam has become the new religion to be protected. You can blaspheme Catholicism (The Da Vinci Code). You can also cast aspersions about Jews (The Passion of the Christ). However, Islam is sacrosanct because we have to show sensitivity.

Or is that really it? Aren't we just cowards? The truth is that we're afraid of what extremist Muslims might do if we offend them. Moderate Muslims like the leader of the Turks in Germany have said that a piece of art should not be subject to religious dictates or we're just going back to the Middle Ages. He could not be more right.

How long will the West try to appease these extremists? When will we stand up for what we profess to believe in?