Australian Jewish comedian John Safran is facing a backlash from Jewish and Christian groups over his latest stunt in which he was nailed to a wooden cross in a Good Friday ritual in a rural Filipino village. Half naked and wearing a curly haired black wig and golden crown, Safran, 36, reportedly identified himself as John Michael before being crucified alongside devout Christian followers in the ritual imitating the crucifixion of Jesus, the Australian Jewish News reports.
Safran, a graduate of Melbourne's Yeshivah College, was filming the act for his upcoming eight part ABC television series John Safran's Race Relations.
Some Jewish and Catholic leaders, however, argue his latest attempts at religious satire have crossed the line.
"Safran's actions are to be deplored," Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot told the AJN.
"They are extremely insensitive and not only bring disrepute on the Jewish people, but adversely affect interfaith relationships, especially when we are striving to build those relationships both in Australia and internationally."
While the Catholic Church does not endorse the crucifixions, Fr Max Polak, from St Mary's Star of the Sea in West Melbourne, added that Safran's actions were disrespectful to the Filipino people and their local practices and beliefs.
"He misrepresented himself to the locals ... It's pretty unethical and unprofessional," Fr Polak told the AJN.
"I feel sorry for the local people because obviously they do that with some sense of devotion and a form of penance.
But Fr Bob Maguire, who co-hosts a weekly Triple J Radio show with Safran, said he was not offended.
"I consider it [Safran's] way of investigating devotional practices," he said.
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