Cyprus-Forum.com

A controversial comic book depicting Jesus as a party animal is not amusing the Greeks. They have banned the book and sentenced its author to a six-month jail term.

Calling it "hurtful to public decency and blasphemous," an Athens court upheld a ban on a comic book portraying Jesus Christ as a naked surfer high on marijuana and sentenced its author to six months in jail last month.

The book's Greek publishers and four local booksellers were acquitted of all charges regarding the book, called "The Life of Jesus." A separate case on the book's seizure is pending in the Greek Supreme Court.

"If the ban is not lifted, we'll consider appealing to the European Court of Human Rights," said Haderer's lawyer, Minas Mihailovic.

Ruling is "scandalous"


Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: another view of JesusAustrian author Gerhard Haderer did not attend the trial and faces imprisonment only if he enters Greece. He called the ruling "scandalous."

"I have done nothing other than to go too far in depicting the contrast between non-believers and believers," he said. "But when the state suddenly begins to set limits for humor, then that is really a reason for disquiet."

Haderer's book, which sold over 100,000 German-language copies, is reportedly the first one to be banned in Greece in more than 20 years. It first ran into trouble in February 2003 after the Greek edition was confiscated by the Greek government and the powerful and conservative Greek Orthodox Church filed a complaint against the author.

In 2000, another book, an erotic Greek novel was provisionally seized in Greece after the church condemned it as blasphemous.

Jesus on a surfing trip


Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: a surfing JesusThe book is controversial because of its out-of-the-ordinary depictions of Jesus, such as one of his crossing the Sea of Galilee naked on a surfboard, receiving divine inspiration from frankincense. One illustration recasts the Last Supper as a drinking binge. Characters such as fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and the late guitar wonder Jimi Hendrix mingle with Jesus in the tales.

The book has been published in Austria, Germany, France, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Korea. In some countries, it has sparked protests and a Czech lawmaker wanted the author fined. But in no other country has the book been banned.

"After all, Greece is a member of the European Union and, so you would think, not a religious state in which an artist's freedom of expression is kicked to the ground," said Harderer's publisher, Fritz Panzer.

Blasphemy laws hinder artistic freedom

The crackdown on the book was condemned by the Geneva-based International Publishers' Association (IPA) because of concerns that the ruling will hinder other authors.

At least they are not burning flags, through rock, kill people and promise eternal hatred... a civilised expression of someones sentiments its the essence of democracy... but what you kow aboyut that, when everyone who opposes the Turkish idea rots in prisons...

what are you trying to prove, retired2cyprus ?
The greeks are behaving in a civilized and cultured way.
They are definitely not behaving like barbarians and brutes and pigs.

Strahd, is everything in your life measured in relation to how much worse at it the Turks are? How sad for you.

What I think you don't seem to realise is how similar you are to the muslim bigots who got stroppy about the recent depictions of Allah.

To me all religious zealots are the same: backward and intolerant and the breeders of hate and evil.

Quite! I think it’s an argument our little Hun friend will be well advised to stay clear off. What next? Gary Glitter pontificating on child care, Ecevit on good governance and democracy!!.

My dear friend mackterry, the book will be depenalised when it gets to supreme court. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right in Greece.

It strikes me that we now have these two Turkish gentlemen bombarding us with attacks on Greece and Greek-Cypriots.
I know the forum is open for anyone and far be it from me to say that anyone should keep their noses out, but I would have thought that the idea was to bring people together in fruitful discussion rather than promoting hate.
How about some constructive discussions instead of throwing shit at each other?

I don't think banning the book will do anything more than make people curious. It happens with films too, the Catholic church dıdnt want people to see the film that depicted Christ as Gay, and some Jewish people wanted The Passion of the Christ banned, but at the end of the day I feel grown up enough to make my own mind up whether to read something or not, so I don't think it should have been banned. On a personal note, I wouldn't bother reading something so blasphemous (I am a Catholic) but also wouldn't kick up a fuss if others did. Religion in my opinion should be confined to the home and Church, and not allowed in politics etc.

Tess

Dear Theresa,
You have hot the nail on another crucial problem. Well done.
The role of the church in the cyprus problem.
Say no more on the subject or it will trigger world war 499 on this bloody forum regarding this issue.

They have banned the book and sentenced its author to a six-month jail term

I don't believe that they put the author in jail. Any official links to prove this claim? Or is this whole thing just a joke and this is why is in this section?