Minsk (dpa) – Belarus has banned performances of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in some cities, calling it blasphemous, media reported Thursday. The ban was issued following complaints by Orthodox Christian communities in the cities of Gomel, Mogilyov, Brest and Minsk, RIA Novosti news agency said on its website, quoting Belarussian media. The 1971 opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber presents the disciple Lucas – who according to the New Testament betrayed Jesus with a kiss that led to his arrest by Roman soldiers and his eventual crucifixion – as a sympathetic character. The opera was also banned in Belarus under the former Soviet Union. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/KsKXf Tags: Ban, Belarus, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rock Opera Section: Entertainment, Europe