Dutch minister won't stop Madonna 'crucifixion'

A month after angering religious leaders by staging a mock crucifixion during a concert in Rome, Madonna has received the go-ahead to repeat the scene at shows in the Netherlands on Sunday and Monday.

Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner on Friday rejected a call by a Christian party to prevent the pop singer from including the mock crucifixionin her concerts scheduled for Sunday and Monday in Amsterdam.

Donner empathized with the concerns of the Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP) the Protestant Reform Party but saidonly a court couldtake action against the show, which is part of the 47-year-old pop star'sworldwide Confessions tour.

"It is understandable that Christians feel offended by the crucifixion act that Madonna performs," he said incomments posted on the SGP's website.

"It is a reprehensible way to attract attention at the cost of the deepest feelings of many people."

However, Donner warned that hurt feelings still didn't mean the act could be classified as blasphemy.

"Judgment over whether the event in question constitutes blasphemy is not up to the justice minister, but up to prosecutors and ultimately a judge."

The youth wing of the SGP said it would file a lawsuit against Madonna for blasphemy following the Amsterdam shows.

"The SGP youth wing regrets that the freedom of expression is declared as being so holy that insulting the Son of God is part of that freedom," it said in a statement.

Opposition in Italy, Germany

Madonna had weathered criticism in other countries for the scene.

Religious leadersin Rome had condemnedthe pop starfor including a mock crucifixion in her Aug. 6 concert at Rome's Olympic Stadium, located near the gates of Vatican City.

During the show,Madonna who was raised a Catholic by her Italian-American father stood pinned against a large mirrored cross while wearing a fake crown of thorns.

Prosecutors promised to monitor Madonna's concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, in mid-August, but later backed off threats to launch an investigation into possible criminal charges.