This week, Austrian National Council President Barbara Prammer canceled the performance of the song trilogy "Mathausen" by famed Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis for the commemoration of the 66th anniversary since the liberation of the Mauthausen extermination camp.
Why? Because of the Greek composer's repeated anti-Semitic statements during the past several years.
While we do not approve of anti-Semitic statements -- or statements insulting any ethnic, racial, or religious group for that matter -- we do believe that the decision by Austria to cancel Theodorakis' performance was a grave mistake.
Theodorakis is world-renowned for the music he has composed during the past 50 years. His music for the 1964 film "Zorba the Greek" remains popular to the present day, and is still danced to at Greek weddings, Grecian church festivals, and on other occasions.
But even more important than Theodorakis' peerless ability to compose music in this situation is his right to freedom of speech. If he believes that Jews are "the root of evil," he has a right to believe it -- and to express this belief in the mass media, if he feels comfortable in doing so.
On the other hand, by canceling the Greek composer's musical performance in Austria, Barbara Prammer -- who is obviously of Jewish background -- has illustrated that she herself is prejudiced by retaliating against Theodorakis for expressing his true beliefs with respect to Jews.
In other words, Prammer is "punishing" Theodorakis for his beliefs -- and expressing them with his freedom of speech -- by canceling his performance in Austria. How childish can she be?
We find it very interesting that Jews tend to see nothing wrong with defaming other groups, but if someone is critical of Jews, he is labeled anti-Semitic, and is punished whenever possible for doing so by rejection or other means.
Indeed, this kind of prejudice is far worse than anti-Semitism itself!
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