Artistes arrested for ‘gay’ Jesus play in Greece

In the first place, I don’t know why someone wants to portray Jesus as gay. That is not my concern. But why the Church makes a hue and cry when such a thing happens is of course something that I would like to think about.

Nikos Kazantzakis was in the dock for his controversial novel ‘The Last Temptation of Jesus Christ’ and so was Salman Rushdie for his ‘Satanic Verses’. World-renowned Indian artist M F Hussein was often targeted by right-wing Hindus for his portrayal of Hindu goddesses in nude.

A director, actors and a producer who staged an American play depicting Jesus and his disciples as gay were arrested in Greece. Charges of blasphemy have been filed against them. Athens had imposed a ban on the controversial play “Corpus Christi” after weeks of daily protests by priests from Greece’s Orthodox Church, members of the far-right party, the Golden Dawn, and other right-wing protesters earlier this month. My fellow blogger Kristina Chew says that these demonstrations and the blasphemy charges, filed by Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus, are all more signs of a rise in right-wing sentiment in Greece, also evidenced in reports of violent attacks on immigrants and the government’s implementation of its “Xenios Zeus” policy, a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Albanian-born Laertis Vasiliou, who directed the play was reported to have expressed disbelief that authorities have made such a huge issue about the play. It may be remembered that Greece is struggling hard to tide over the economic crisis that prevails in the country, unemployment and other issues.

Though no specific date for a trial for the director Vasiliou and the others has yet been set, if convicted, they could face sentences of several months.

According to Reuters, the lawsuit against those involved in the “Corpus Christi” production follows the arrest of a 27-year-old man who created a Facebook page that mocked a deceased Orthodox monk. These incidents indicate a right-wing turn in the country, also apparent when Greek state TV censored a kiss between two men while airing a segment of the British period drama “Downton Abbey” in October, reports the agency.