BERLIN, March 6, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – A Berlin festival scheduled for Thursday, March 16, will shun the country's top rock band over a song lampooning God, a decision linked by the German press to the controversy triggered by the publication of cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).

RTL TV channel has refused to allow Oomph rock band to perform in the Echo song festival, a channel's spokesman was quoted as saying by the daily Netzeitung on Sunday, March 5.

He linked the decision to the controversial lead song in the band's new album, "Gott ist ein Popstar (God is a pop star).

Oomph has been topping the music charts in Germany for more than a year and a half.

RTL TV said broadcasting the song will be an "irresponsible act" in light of the current heated debate on the world arena regarding respect of religions.

Many German channels and radio stations have also rejected the controversial song.

Der Spiegel magazine linked this position to ongoing dialogue between the West and the Muslim world over the controversial Danish cartoons.

It said the ongoing debate on the limits of freedom of expression in relation to religions has moved to the music business.

Twelve cartoons, one of them showing the Prophet with a bomb-shaped turban, were first published in Denmark last year and later reprinted by newspapers in many countries on the ground of freedom of expression.

That argument has been rejected by Muslims who believe it should not be used as a pretext to insult their religion.

The caricatures, considered blasphemous under Islam, have triggered massive and sometimes violent demonstrations across the Muslim world.

Germany has since been showing more understanding to religious sensitivities.

On February 23, a German court convicted a businessman of insulting Islam by printing the word "Qur'an " on toilet paper and offering it to mosques.