I wonder if they're proud of themselves. However, who made the film? This has been the subject of some dispute. Initially we believed it was an Israeli born American named Sam Bacile. However, there have since been lots of questions about him, first and foremost if he really exists:
"The man who identified himself as the filmmaker behind the anti-Islam film “The Innocence of Muslims” may have used a pseudonym and spent time in federal prison. Meanwhile several actors in the movie say they were duped, and are now distancing themselves from the film that was cited as a spark to the violence in Libya that resulted in the murder of the United States’ ambassador to that country."
"Initial reports stated an Israeli-born producer who identified himself as Sam Bacile had gone into hiding following the violence in Libya. FoxNews.com’s research on public and private databases, business filings, and people finding services came up empty on that name. Israeli authorities also claim to have no records of him being a citizen, although he said in interviews to be both a citizen of America and Israel."
"The Associated Press first reported that they spoke with Bacile via phone as he was remaining incognito in an undisclosed location following the violence in Libya. “Bacile” said that he was sorry for the death of the U.S Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and blamed his death on the “no good” security systems in place at the embassies."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/09/13/innocence-muslims-producer-identity-questioned-actors-say-were-duped/#ixzz26MGaerWn
Sam Bacile-whoever he may be had an interview with the WSJ:
"In his interview with the Wall Street Journal, the filmmaker characterized his movie, now called "Innocence of Muslims," as "a political effort to call attention to the hypocrisies of Islam."
"Islam is a cancer," he said. "The movie is a political movie. It's not a religious movie."
However, it's looking more and more like he's a pseudonym-Israel says they have no knowledge or record of him.
The actors in the film say they had know knowledge of what the film's author was doing or what he was after. They say it's been dubbed and edited and they feel deceived and sickened by what it's become:
"An actress in the film, who asked not to be identified, told CNN that the original script did not include a Prophet Mohammed character. She said she and other actors complained that their lines had been changed.
She said she spoke Wednesday with the producer."
"He said he wrote the script because he wants the Muslims to quit killing," she said. "I had no idea he was doing all this."
"She described the movie's repercussions as a "nightmare," given the outrage and deaths, and she regretted having a role. She said she was angry and hurt by the lies."
The 79 other cast and crew members said they were "grossly misled" about the film's intent.
What is becoming clear is that "Bacile" is no Jew. This film is starting to look like it was created by some Christian activists of the extreme Right-who actually have slandered Jews as well as Muslims. There's Steve Klein who claims credit for inspiring "Sam Bacile" to produce this very regrettable film.
"Klein claims credit for inspiring “Sam Bacile” to produce “The Innocence of Muslims,” promising him he would be “the next Theo Van Gogh,” referring to the Dutch columnist who was murdered by a Muslim extremist. Of the attacks in Libya, Klein said, “We went into this knowing this was probably going to happen.”
http://maxblumenthal.com/2012/09/meet-the-right-wing-extremist-behind-anti-muslim-film-that-sparked-deadly-riots/
Did he really say this? He knew this was going to happen?! Again, this is at least on the level of "Fire" in a crowded theatre, maybe much worse. To knowingly do something that will cause the bloodshed and deaths we've seen; it's astonishing that he proudly tells us this in the light of day.
"The US Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three US diplomats were killed in attacks and rioting provoked by an obscure, low-budget anti-Muslim film called “The Innocence of Muslims.” The producer of the film is a real estate developer supposedly named “Sam Bacile” who claims to be an Israeli Jew. Bacile told the AP the film was made with $5 million raised from “100 Jewish donors.” He said he was motivated to help his native country, Israel, by exposing the evils of Islam."
"While Bacile claims to be in hiding, and his identity remains murky, another character who has been publicly listed as a consultant on the film is a known anti-Muslim activist with ties to the extreme Christian right and the militia movement. He is Steve Klein, a Hemet, California based insurance salesman who claims to have led a “hunter-killer team” in Vietnam.”
"Klein is a right-wing extremist who emerged from the same axis of Islamophobia that produced Anders Behring Breivik and which takes inspiration from the writings of Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, and Daniel Pipes."
"It appears Klein (or someone who shares his name and views) is an enthusiastic commenter on Geller’s website, Atlas Shrugged, where he recently complained about Mitt Romney’s “support for a Muslim state in Israel’s Heartland.” In July 2011, Spencer’s website, Jihad Watch, promoted a rally Klein organized alongside the anti-Muslim Coptic extremist Joseph Nasrallah to demand the firing of LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, whom they painted as a dupe for Hamas."
As for the man who he "inspired" it seems we may now know who the real "Sam Basil" is:
"Law enforcement has identified Nakoula Basseley Nakoula as the man behind "Innocence of Muslims," the anti-Islam movie that is widely blamed for riots around the world, the AP reports."
"Nakoula had previously claimed he had a role in the film's creation, but insisted he was not the director. Earlier reports centered around a certain Sam Bacile, but many doubts have been cast on Bacile's identity. Cell phones tied to Bacile and Nakoula traced to the same address
"Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, told The Associated Press in an interview outside Los Angeles Wednesday that he managed logistics for the company that produced "Innocence of Muslims," which mocked Muslims and the prophet Muhammad."
"The movie has been blamed for inflaming mobs that attacked U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya this week as well as U.S. Embassy in Yemen on Thursday."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/13/innocence-of-muslims-filmmaker-nakoula-basseley-nakoula_n_1880706.html
This is not the first time Nakoula has been in trouble:
"Nakoula ran afoul of the law in 2010, when he pleaded no contest to federal bank fraud charges after being indicted in a somewhat intricate scheme involving fake bank accounts created using stolen Social Security numbers. He was given a 21 month prison sentence and had to pay $790,000."
So we have the spectacle of some bigoted Christians making a movie that they proudly tell us, they anticipated leading to violence. Not only did they deliberately light a match on some very nasty tensions that was meant as an attack on Islam but they also dragged Jews through the mud as well it should be remembered:
"As Atlantic blogger Jeffry Goldberg points out, "So, if this is true, then a group of Christians, or at least one Christian, eager to slander Muslims have endangered Jews. How so? The story that "Sam Bacile" is an Israeli Jew, with "100 Jewish donors," has spread across the Middle East. It is not possible to withdraw such a story. The onus for violence is on the people who commit violence, of course. But if true, this fiction that the anti-Muhammad movie was a Jewish production is cowardly and despicable. Alas, "Sam Bacile" could not have spread the apparent fiction that Jews were behind this film without the help of the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal, which both reported, without independently checking, "Sam Bacile"s claim to be Israeli."
"The purpose of the film was to deliberately incite violence in order to discredit the Arabic world. That it was so easily successful in manipulating people to carry out acts of violence shows the grave dangers of disinformation and propaganda that can be readily accomplished in seconds with internet connections."
http://www.examiner.com/article/libya-violence-incited-by-film-made-by-christian-coptic-egyptian-california
Can either Naloula or Klein can avoid serious criminal charges at this point? Yes we have the right to free speech but this was deliberately done to incite violence and bloodshed. It's hard to imagine anything being done with more malice in foresight and ill intent.
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