Extremist Christians Produce Anti-Muslim Film Blame Jews -updated 9/14
Sheila Musaji
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/fea...ws/0019351
Posted Sep 14, 2012
Extremist Christians Produce Anti-Muslim Film Blame Jews
by Sheila Musaji
Yesterday I posted two articles
TheTragic Consequences of Extremism which gives a detailed background onthe attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Egyptand Libya, andon the tragic murder of the U.S. Ambassador and three Embassy staff in Libya,and the film that sparked these events. That article will be regularly updatedas events unfold.
And,
Muslimsand Muslim Organizations Condemn Attacks on U.S. Embassies which listssome of the many of the statements that have been made condemning theviolence. This will also be updated.
Based on all of the reports that have come out in the lastfew days, here is a summary of what we now know about the film and itsproducers. (see
TheTragic Consequences of Extremism for details, references, links tosources, etc.)
The film called "Innocence of Muslims" (after having been called "DesertWarrior" and "Innocence of bin Laden") was originally identified by AP asproduced by Sam Basile.
AP interviewed him by telephone. The person identifying himselfas Sam Basile claimed to be an Israeli American and Jewish, and to haveraised $5 million from 100 Jewish donors to make the film. He said thatthe trailer of the film available on YouTube was part of a 2-hour film. He said that he made the film "to help his native land by exposing Islam'sflaws to the world", and he called Islam "a cancer". After theterrible events in Egyptand Libya, andafter the story about the film became a news item internationally, he wasreported to have gone into hiding in fear for his life.
It appears that Sam Basile was invented to cover the activities of atleast four individuals - Steve Klein, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, MorrisSadek, and Joseph Nasralla Abdelmasih. Klein is an extremist Evangelical,and Nakoula, Nasrallah, and Sadek are extremist Copts. So, extremistsChristian Islamophobes engaged in an elaborate subterfuge, creating anon-existent Sam Basile and providing Basile with a biography that falselyrepresented him as an Israeli Jew whose film was financed by 100 other Jews tohelp Israelagainst the "cancer of Islam." The film
wasproduced by Media for Christ at the Blue Cloud studios in California.
The problem is that they made a hateful anti-Muslim filmdesigned to provoke a response, promoted it in English and Arabic, and thenengaged in a hateful scheme to blame their handiwork on Jews.
Egyptian political extremists used the film to stir up themasses to promote their political agenda.
The extremist political organization Al Qaeda used the filmas a pretext for their terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya,as well as using the film as further "proof" of their propaganda effort to saythat the U.S.is at war with all Muslims to gain support for their cause.
The identity of Sam Basile is clearlyKlein/Nakoula/Sadek/Nasrallah*
There may be others involved, but it will probably take time to identify all ofthose who engaged in what can only be called an anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic,and in the end anti-American conspiracy. Here is what we now know about thesemen:
Steve Klein, an extremist Evangelical, first told the AP thatthe filmmaker was an Israeli Jew, and that he was only a consultant on thefilm. He now says that Sam Basile is a pseudonym as part of a disinformationcampaign for an individual whose name he does not know and who is not anIsraeli or Jewish and that he had only met him once. He says Basileinitially contacted him. Klein says that the film "was designed tostop the Muslim population in Americareaching 10 per cent as they would then work together and attack their hostcountry'. Our intent is to show people what Americacould look like in 50 to 75 years time. The truth is that Muslims are a violentpeople and they are taking the living with them over a cliff.'"
Klein now claims that "the film was paid for by MiddleEasterners, Jewish people, Christians and a lot of former Muslims'". Some moneycame from Britain,Scotland, France,Germany and Holland,'he said. Klein said that through a group that he had founded, calledMiddle Eastern Experts' Team (MEET) "and his contacts with the Coptic communityhe has been asked to give his insights to the FBI and the U.S. MarineCorps."
Klein produces a television show called "Wake Up America" onThe Way TV, which shares the same Duarteaddress as Media for Christ headed by Joseph NasrallaAbdelmasih. Klein posts regularly on Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs, InJuly 2011, Robert Spencer's website, Jihad Watch, promoted a rally Kleinorganized alongside the anti-Muslim Coptic extremist JosephNasrallah to demand the firing of LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, whom they paintedas a dupe for Hamas. He is a board member and founder of a group calledCourageous Christians United, which promotes anti-Mormon, anti-Catholic andanti-Muslim literature (including the work of Robert Spencer) on itswebsite. He is affiliated with theChurch at Kaweah which has beenprofiled by the SPLC including reference to Klein's long record of activismagainst Muslims. Klein was involved in the protests against the Temeculamosque. Klein appears to be allied with the National American CopticAssembly, a radical Islamophobic group headed by Morris Sadik. Kleinsays that he "inspired Basile" to make the film and said after the attacks in Libya "Wewent into this knowing this was probably going to happen."
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is an American Egyptian Copt. His cellphone traces to the same address as the cell phone number used by themysterious Sam Basile. Nakoula claims that he was manager for the companythat produced the video, and provided logistics for the film, but that he wasnot the producer. Nakoula admits a role in the production of the film, andsays that "it was intended as a provocative statement". He denies beingBasile, but says that he knows Sam Basile who is the filmmaker. Nakoula hasconvictions for drug possession and fraud, and is an ex-convict onprobation. He faces possible arrest for breaching the conditions of hisparole (using the internet, computers, or email without approval of a probationofficer for five years). He is now being identified as the producer ofthe film
Morris Sadek is an American Egyptian Copt. Sadek was the source ofthe telephone number supposedly belonging to Sam Basile that was given to AP,and which they called for their interview. Sadek was
alsothe one who posted Arabic articles online drawing attention to thefilm, sent a link to the film after it had been dubbed in Arabic toEgyptian journalists and television stations on September 6, 2012 , andpromoted the film heavily on his website and in social media. Coptic Solidarityorganization officials have condemned Sadek's anti-Muslim activities. Sadek was banned from entering Egyptand had his citizenship revoked in May 2011 because he called for war againstthe country. Sadek also has links to Terry Jones who alsopromoted the film. Sadek is a supporter of BrigitteGabriel's (an extremist Maronite Christian) ACT! for America. Photo of Sadek with
BrigitteGabriel at one of the group's 2010 events.
Joseph Nasralla Abdelmasih, an Egyptian American CopticChristian, is the head of Media for Christ who produced the film. Hespoke at Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer's hate group SIOA's anti-mosquerally in 2010 (also attended by Morris Sadek) and at their Freedom Rally in 2011. In June 2012, Geller and Spencer held what they variously called AFDI/SIOAHistoric Human Rights Townhall or AFDI/SIOA "Summer Night for Human Rights",and which I called an anti-Muslim hate fest. Joseph Nasrallah and EricAllen Bell attended this function which included many former Muslimspeakers. In her articles, Geller includes a photo of herself andNasrallah, and a photo of Eric Allen Bell sitting in the audience. Heparticipated with Steve Klein and Gary Cass in an anti-Muslim student outreacheffort titled 911 Defend Our Students. Geller
saidaboutNasralla: Joseph Nasralla spoke at our 911 Ground Zero mosque rallies. Heis a champion of human rights.
MEDIA FOR CHRIST - A non-profit non-denominationalEvangelical Christian organization., obtained the permit to film "Innocence ofMuslims". Its founder is Joseph Nasralla Abdelmasih. Theirwebsite is currently offline. Their income from 65,000 dollars in 2007 toover one million dollars in 2011 according to 990 tax forms. The otherofficers of Media for Christ are Kamal Rizk and Rania Mossad. Mediafor Christ includes a production house for "The Way," a Christian satellitetelevision program in English and Arabic launched in 2010 which produces a showhosted by Steve Klein called "Wake UpAmerica.". NOTE: Media for Christ website is NOTmediaforchrist.org
Update: FOLLOW THE MONEY, Form 990 Return ofOrganization Exempt from Income Tax are available on the National Center for Charitable Statisticssite in PDF format. Here is what I found for Media for Christ/ The WayTV:
2005 -Shows no income, only 8,719 in money contributed personally to to set up theorganization and 15,543 in expenses leaving a shortage of -6,824 for the year
2006 -income 64,164 - salaries 0 - other expenses 63,811 - loss of -6,471 for theyear
2007 -income 65,861 - salaries 0 - other expenses 61,963 - loss of -2,573 for theyear
2008 -income 46,248 - salaries 0 - other expenses 47,127 - loss of -879 for the year
2009 -195,396 income - 24,263 salaries - other expenses 170,186 - loss of -22,485
2010 -$633,516 income - 138,638 salaries - 499,649 other expenses - loss of -11,863
2011 -$1,016 income - $165,785 in salaries - 826,451 other expenses +23,551
Clearly something major happened in 2010. Suddenly,income increased dramatically, and salaries went from 24,000 to 138,000 ayear. Then in 2011, there was another dramatic jump. Income increaseddramatically again, and did salaries and expenses. What happened?
Alan Roberts may or may not be a pseudonym. But focushas shifted to Roberts after Nakoula presumably the same person as Sam Bacile refused to admit he was the director. Gawker interviewed Eric Moers, hired asa grip and electrician for the Desert Warrior film, who laid out the on-setpolitics: "Alan was working under Sam, sort of," he said. "But Alan wasdirecting the movie, there was no question about it."
Both Moers andDax described the film's director as a 50ish white male, and a search of IMDByields one Alan Roberts fitting the billing. According to the site, Roberts hasdirected nine films, most recently the 1994 B-movie Save Me. VICE has tracedthe Alan Roberts name to a man named Robert Brownell, whom they say purchasedpre-production services related to the Desert Warrior film in 2009 and 2011.According to their records, Robert Brownell also goes by the name Robert AlanBrown, which contains unmistakable similarities to the Alan Robertsidentity. But the biggest problem to Moerswasn't the director's name, it was his skill: "He was a directorial hack, hedidn't know basic things," Moer said. His previous films were primarilysoft pornography.
Other names have been raised in connection with the film,but at this point little is known, including whether or not some names are alsopseudonyms. Those names are Alan Roberts (listed as the Director in somedocuments), Robert Brownell, Robert Alan Brown. And, of course, TerryJones.
These individuals have connections with each other and withmembers of the Islamophobia industry. The
IslamophobiaIndustry exists and is engaged in an anti-Muslim
Crusade. They have
amanifesto for spreading their propaganda.
They
produce anti-Muslimfilms. They are forming
neworganizations and coalitions of organizations at a dizzying speed, notonly nationally, but
alsointernationally. They have formed an
InternationalLeadership Team "which will function as a mobile, proactive, reactiveon-the-ground team developing and executing confidential action plans thatstrike at the heart of the global anti-freedom agenda."
The Islamophobia of these folks
isvery real, it is
alsostrikingly similar to a previous generations' anti-Semitism, and
ithas predictable consequences.
As Prof. Juan Cole
hasnoted The group behind the film, in other words, managed to evoke all theclassic themes of anti-Semitism as a way of disguising the Coptic andevangelical network out of which the film' came. When they weren't busypicketing Mormons and defaming Muslims they were trying to get Jews killed fortheir own smears of Islam!
Of course, given the strident hatred of Muslims promoted bya handful of Jewish American extremists such as Pamela Geller, David Horowitz,Daniel Pipes and others, in which they gleefully join with white supremacistsand Christian fundamentalists, it was only a matter of time before theirpartners in hate turned on them and used them.
I also noted the danger of Jews alligning themselves with Islamophobes and howlikely it was that this tactic would backfire, in the article
PamelaGeller May Regret Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest of Bigotry in which Isaid
Pamela Geller's Islamophobia is clouding her judgement abouthow closely anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and all other forms of bigotry arelinked. Encouraging and condoning bigotry towards any minority ultimatelycan come to hurt all minorities. Her ravings against Islam and Muslimsare appealing to a certain segment of the population who need to have someoneto blame and to look down on. It is if she is taking a stick andsticking it into a hive of hornets and shaking it around and hoping she cancontrol who those hornets sting.
When she opposes halal slaughter of animals and calls it"cruel", it isn't going to be long before her audience notices kosherslaughter. When she opposes not only particular interpretations of somespecific aspects of Sharia, but all of Sharia, it isn't going to be long beforeher audience sees the similarities between Halakha and Sharia. If it'salright to take away Constitutional protections from Muslims, or any otherparticular minority, then it isn't going to be long before her audiencerealizes they can take them away from others who they were never that fond ofin the first place.
All of the media outlets who published the initial information describingBasile as an Israeli Jew with 100 Jewish donors financing the film should havedone more checking.
The tragic violence continues to play out. Thismorning, Betsy Hiel, a Cairo-based correspondent for The PittsburghTribune-Review, published pictures of the US Embassy in Cairo,which she reports were defaced with graffiti praising Osama Bin Laden andthreatening Jews. Protests have continued today in Egypt,Tunisia, Iran,Iraq, Gaza,and in Yemenwhere at least one protester was killed and four others were wounded whenpolice tried to control a crowd storming the American embassy.
Innocent Jewish people around the world have been put indanger. Innocent Muslims have been put in danger. Innocent CopticChristians in Egypthave been put in danger. Americans abroad have been put in danger. Relationships between governments have been strained. Relationshipsbetween religious communities have been strained. Al Qaeda has beenhanded a propaganda coup.
There has been violence and destruction and human beings have died because ofevents set in motion by the conspiracy set in motion by theseindividuals. One of the Key players in this, Klein said "We wentinto this knowing this was probably going to happen." This means thatthey knew that such provocation would lead to violence, and yet they went aheadwith this plan.
If the goal or intention of these individuals was to inflameMuslims with the hateful film, provoke a response, incite anti-Semitism andIslamophobia, engender hatred, stir up animosity between Jews and Muslims, andbetween Muslims and Coptic Christians, destabilize the Egyptian government,further tarnish the image of the U.S. in the Muslim world, and stir up morebigotry and suspicion between American Muslims and their fellow citizens, thenthey have succeeded. If their goal was to raise the issue of theinjustices against the Coptic Christian minority in Egypt,then they have failed miserably. Just last month, there was a joint
U.S.Muslim & Christian Statement Regarding Egyptian Minorities, and
MPAC and
ISNA areworking on projects to protect the rights of religious minorities in Muslimmajority countries. Those are the sorts of efforts that may help healdivisions.
It seems to me that terms like conspiracy, hate crime,incitement to violence, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, psychological terrorism,and traitors, all apply here. If these individuals have not crossed alegal line, they have certainly crossed moral, and ethical lines. American Muslims, including myself have stood strongly for the freedom ofspeech. The
Defenseof free speech by American and Canadian Muslims statement to which Iwas a signatory makes that point clear. However, there is a point atwhich protected speech crosses the line between free speech and hate speech,and I believe that these individuals have crossed that line.
The only figure that I know of in the Torah, the New Testament, or the Qur'an,who would be honored by the actions of any of these extremists is Satan.
These religious and political extremists use religion as acover to attempt to justify actions that can only be called evil. Theywant to provoke a reaction, as it feeds into their narratives, or they believethey can use the suffering of others to aid their own political cause. All of the extremists have more in common with each other than they do with themajority of decent people of their faith. Their actions bring disgrace onother members of the faiths they claim, and they bring nothing but more hatred,chaos, and suffering to the rest of the world. The extremists who madethis film do not represent Coptic Christians, or Christians. Thepolitical extremists like Al Qaeda do not represent Islam.
Abbas Barzegar has written
animportant article on the free speech vs. hate speech aspectof this crisis in which he says… We have been here before. The late AyatollahKhomeini's notorious edict against Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses in 1989, TheDanish Cartoon controversy in 2005, and Pastor Terry Jones's Qur'an burningstunt in 2010. Anyone who has a inkling of familiarity with the Muslim worldknows that sacrilege and blasphemy are not understood as acts of free speech,political expression, or artistic creativity. No, they are bright red linesthat promise public panic and guarantee violence. Couple that reality with twocenturies of colonial and neo-imperial European domination of the greater Middle East and you have the perfect storm for an internationalcommunications disaster. So, as history repeats itself, the only thingludicrous is the incessant stubbornness of both the West's commitment to "freespeech" and the Muslim world's rush to violence, the irony of which is lostupon them both.
... But one look at Sam Bacile's film will demonstratethat its vitriolic message elevates it to the status of a hate crime. Themovie depicts Muhammad as sexually licentious, insane, and fanatically violent.It draws upon (in the most uncreative ways) a long line of anti-Muslimstereotypes that date to the crusades. In short these stereotypes are to Islamophobiawhat blood libel is anti-Semitism.
What is farcical is not only that Muslims who murder in thename of Islam reinforce the very stereotypes that caused their outrage but alsothat western democratic societies which continue to protect what amounts tohate speech reinforce their own stereotypes in the Muslim world as Godlessmoral relativists. Even more ironic however is that the chorus of condemnationon all sides will be loudly sounded, yet there will be no mechanism of force orlaw to stop this deadly child's play of provocation and retaliation.
Consider this: how is it possible that not the FBI norSecretary of Defense Robert Gates could stop Pastor Terry Jones from puttingthe Quran on Trial and burning it when it was well known that the act wouldcause violence around the world and harm the security of the USpersonnel abroad? Likewise, how is possible that despite the most elaboratecondemnations from Muslim religious authorities around the world that theycould not stop a mob of thugs from storming the consulate in Benghazi andmurdering the ambassador that helped them overthrow Qaddafi?
Another layer of irony, still, will be our own melancholyreactions. As more protests unfold in the coming days and more violenceabounds, the average global citizen will simply shake their heads, dumbfounded,and make hollow appeals for calm and reason. What we have yet to understand isthat whether it takes the shape of Muhammad or the concept of Free Speech, thesacred remains untouchable. Until we find a system of law that limits the abuseof our sacred symbols, we can count on Marx's promise that our coming days willbe filled with nothing but farce.
The Coptic Orthodox Church, Diocese of Los Angeles
issueda statement
We strongly condemn the brutal murder of the United Statesambassador to Libya and three of the embassy employees. In order for peace toreign throughout the world, brutality and hatred must be swiftly condemned andpunished.
Hope must be brought to desperate places, kindness and mercymust be given a chance. However, hope will not thrive in the midst of hatredand violence. Therefore, those who are responsible for this brutal act must bebrought to justice in order to give hope a chance.
We keep the families of the ambassador and murdered staff inour prayers as well as offering the families our heart felt condolences.
Furthermore, the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California & Hawaiistrongly rejects dragging the respectable Copts of the Diaspora in the latestproduction of an inflammatory movie about the prophet of Islam. The producersof this movie should be responsible for their actions. The name of our blessedparishioners should not be associated with the efforts of individuals who haveulterior motives.
Copts across the Diaspora never participated in anyhumiliation or violence against those who often persecute Christians. It is notthe Christian way to respond to hatred with hate. Christianity prohibits aChristian from such acts. If burning the Holy Bible is wrong, then burning anybook revered or respected by others is equally wrong. Holistically blaming theCopts for the production of this movie is equivalent to holistically blamingMuslims for the actions of a few fanatics. Even though Christians often facepersecution, injustice and calls for open attacks over the airwaves, we rejectviolence in all its forms. We call on everyone from all religions torespect the freedom of individuals to choose their faith.
SEE ALSO:
"Innocence of Muslims": Film and International Crisis (TAMarticle collection)
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/article-collection/0019361 foran extensive collection of articles on this crisis
The Tragic Consequences of Extremism - updated 9/17
Sheila Musaji
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/fea...ut/0019347
The LA Times
reportsthat
The U.S.ambassador to Libya,Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans were reported killed as a mobsacked the U.S. Consulate in eastern Libyain a rage over an anti-Muslim video produced in the United States, according the State Department.
Early Wednesday morning, President Obama releaseda statement: "I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomaticfacility in Benghazi, which tookthe lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, theAmerican people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers.They exemplified America'scommitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people aroundthe globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took theirlives." Obama concluded his statement saying, "The brave Americans welost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians makeevery day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us nowredouble our own efforts to carry their work forward."
Wanis al-Sharif, Libya'sdeputy minister of the interior, told the Associated Press that Stevens andthree others had died as the crowd torched the consulate in Benghazihours after demonstrators scaled the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Cairoin protest over the anti-Muslim video. A Twitter message from Libya'sdeputy prime minister, Mustafa Abu Shagur, condemned the death of Stevens andthe other American personnel killed in the attack.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned theattacks but said in a statement that "inflammatory material posted on theInternet" is not a justification for "violent acts of this kind." "The United States deplores any intentional effort todenigrate the religious beliefs of others," she said. "Our commitment to religioustolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear:There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind."
The reports being published around the world on this tragicmurder, and the events leading up to it are contradictory at this time. We know that an anti-Muslim film appears to have been the spark that set offthis violence. We know that an American Ambassador and three stafferswere killed in a criminal attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libyaand the Embassy in Cairo wasstormed and the U.S flag torn down and replaced by a flag often used by AlQaeda. Among the many confusing aspects to this story is that there seemto be two separate videos, the one produced by Sam Bacile, and another that hasbeen claimed to be connected to Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-American CopticChristian.
NOTE: See
ExtremistChristians Produce Anti-Muslim Film Blame Jews for a summary ofwhat we know about this film and its' producers so far. Most of theinformation about the film contained in this lengthy article is summarizedthere.
MUSLIMS CONDEMN THE ATTACKS ON EMBASSIES & MOURN LOSS OFLIFE
Muslims and Muslim organizations have condemned the actionsof the extremists in Libyaand Egypt. See the collection of statements
here. They have expressed their sadness for the loss of innocent life. There isno "appropriate" target for terrorist acts. Attacking any diplomaticembassy is a criminal act. The murder of the Ambassador and embassy staffwas inexcusable.
What adds yet another level of tragedy to all of this isthat as Aref Nayed, Former Ambassador of Libyato the UAE, Member of the League of Libyan Ulema said in a statement:
This is to express my deepest condolences to the familiesand friends of the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his fallencolleagues, and to the American people and government. I had the honor ofpersonally knowing Ambassador Stevens, and witnessed, firsthand, in Benghaziand later in Tripoli, the care andhard work that he devoted to fulfilling his duties towards his country andtowards Libyaand the Libyan people. He was a man of dedication and honor, and I am shockedand deeply anguished for the loss of a dear friend and supporter of the Libyanpeople's struggle against tyranny. Tyranny and darkness may wear a thousandguises, including pseudo-religiosity, but must never deceive us. Islam is areligion of peace and understanding, and Islam's Prophet (peace be upon him) isthe Prophet of Compassion. It is outrageous and totally unacceptable forcriminals to kill and destroy in the name of defending Islam and its Prophet(peace be upon him). The criminals who committed this cowardly act must berigorously pursued and rapidly brought to justice. May this tragic loss make useven more dedicated and determined to building our respective countries, basedon the values of dialogue, understanding, and peace.
And, as Shahed Amanullah of Generation Change posted onFaceBook:
"I am saddened by the death of Ambassador Stevens and hiscolleagues in Libyaovernight. He (like many others I've met) cared deeply about serving hiscountry as well as the people he reached out to. Take a look at this video tosee what kind of a public servant he was. He was very supportive of ouroutreach efforts to young leaders in Libyaand was preparing for a launch of our Generation Change program there nextmonth. I last saw him at his swearing-in a few months ago - he was so excitedto return to Libya(he helped the opposition during the transition) to help the countryrebuild.
Video: Introducing U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens
THE FILM THAT SPARKED SOMUCH ANGER
All of this anger, violence, sectarian hatred, and sufferingwas stirred up by a combination of extremist efforts. Based on what wasinitially reported, it seemed that a group of extremist Jews produced anddistributed a hateful film insulting Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammadto further their pro-Zionist agenda. This was FALSE, it was extremistChristians Muslim religious extremists drew attention to the film tofurther their own agenda. Extremist Christians promoted the film and helda "trial of Prophet Muhammad" event to gain publicity for themselves. Egyptian political extremists used the film to stir up the masses to promotetheir political agenda. The extremist political organization Al Qaedaused the film as further proof of their propaganda effort to say that the U.S.is at war with all Muslims to gain support for their cause. And, all ofthese extremists succeeded in provoking ignorant or extremist Muslims intocarrying out acts of terrorism (hirabah). Update: Al Qaeda, or oneof their affiliates actually seems to have been
theperpetrator of the attack on the Libyan Embassy
The only figure that I know of in the Torah, the NewTestament, or the Qur'an, who would be honored by the actions of any of theseextremists is Satan.
These religious and political extremists use religion as acover to attempt to justify actions that can only be called evil. Theywant to provoke a reaction, as it feeds into their narratives, or they believethey can use the suffering of others to aid their own political cause. All of the extremists have more in common with each other than they do with themajority of decent people of their faith. Their actions bring disgrace onother members of the faiths they claim, and they bring nothing but more hatred,chaos, and suffering to the rest of the world. The extremists on allsides feed off of each others hatred and continually escalate the rhetoric andthe violence. Somehow, the voices of moderation must come to the fore.
As Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
said Itis well known that within the Muslim world there are extremists and fanaticswho can be provoked and incited by irresponsible media and self-servingreligious leaders. We have seen this before. Terry Jones burns the Quran andthe results were riots in Afganistan and the loss of more life. This isnot excusing the deadly response to the filmit is inexcusable. Violentreactions to any kind of art or thought, no matter how lame, are disgusting andunacceptable in decent society. Yet creating a film such as "Innocence ofMuslims" is akin to shouting fire in the movie theatre. Sam Bacile and hisIslamohating cohorts appear to have created a symbiotic relationship with theviolent Muslim extremistseach give the other a sense of self-righteousness andvictimhood with a perfect circle of destruction. Bacile and his film are partof the problem, not the solution. His actions have put Americaand Americans in danger, and his film should be condemned for its bigotry andirresponsibility.
Here are key articles and passages from those articles aboutwhat is being reported to date about this entire incident in the order theevents were reported:
EARLY ARTICLES
The Globe and Mail
reported
The low-budget movie, "Innocence of Muslims" inwhich actors have strong American accents, portrays Muslims as immoral andgratuitously violent. It pokes fun at the Prophet Mohammed and touches onthemes of paedophilia and homosexuality, sparking protests in Egyptand violence in Libyathat left America'sambassador Chris Stevens and three American officials dead.
The film was produced by Israeli-American SamBacile, according to the Wall Street Journal, but Egyptian media say that someEgyptian Copts living in the USwere involved in the production. On Wednesday, an Egyptian journalistfiled a lawsuit against the producers of the film for "offence to Islam" andhas called on authorities to strip the Egyptian Copts involved in theproduction of their nationality.
Mr. Bacile, a 52-year-old real-estate developer fromsouthern California says Islam isa hateful religion. "Islam is a cancer," Mr. Bacile told the Wall StreetJournal of his crudely-produced film, which depicts the Prophet Mohammedvariously sleeping with women, talking about killing children and referring toa donkey as "the first Muslim animal."
With amateur costumes, a choppy script and fake backdrops,the film would hardly have been noticed some say, had it not been for itspromotion by US pastor Terry Jones, who drew protests in the past for burningthe Koran. Mr. Bacile told the Journal he was responsible for the filmanexcerpt of which has been viewable online since Julysaying he had raised$5-million to make it from about 100 Jewish donors, whom he declined toidentify. He said he had worked with some 60 actors and 45 crew to makethe two-hour movie in a three-month period last year in California."The movie is a political movie. It's not a religious movie," he said.
USA Today
hasmore on Bacile "The filmmaker is in hiding. "This is apolitical movie," said Bacile. "The U.S.lost a lot of money and a lot of people in wars in Iraqand Afghanistan,but we're fighting with ideas." Bacile, a Californiareal estate developer who identifies himself as an Israeli Jew, said hebelieves the movie will help his native land by exposing Islam's flaws to theworld."
The U.S. Embassy in Cairo
releaseda statement after the Cairodemonstration and prior to the tragic events in Libya inwhich the Ambassador and staff members were murdered:
The Embassy of the United States in Cairocondemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religiousfeelings of Muslims as we condemn efforts to offend believers of allreligions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriotsand those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies ofdemocracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of Americandemocracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal rightof free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.
After the murder of the Ambassador a much strongerstatement condemning the actions of the perpetrators
wasreleased by Hillary Clinton.
The Mercury News
reportedthat
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, trying toscore political points from an attack on American diplomatic posts, branded as"disgraceful" a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo that condemnedthe insulting Muhammad video. "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration'sfirst response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but tosympathize with those who waged the attacks," Romney said. The embassy'sstatement, issued hours before it was learned than the American ambassador toLibya had died, condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals tohurt the religious feelings of Muslimsas we condemn efforts to offendbelievers of all religions." Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt wrote inresponse to Romney's statement: "We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragicdeath of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya,Gov. Romney would choose to launch a political attack."
Andrew Brown at the Guardian
wrotein detail about his viewing of the 13 minutes of clips from the filmon YouTube, and then said This is only 13 minutes. It's hard to imagine thefull two hours. The way I have told it may provoke incredulous giggles, butthere is an element of intended nastiness in it that dries up laughter. Some people will want to defend the film as critical of an idea, or of abelief. But I don't think that will do. No Muslim could think of Muhammad as heis portrayed in the film, and very few can suppose that Islam commands them tobehave the way the Muslims in the film do. The beliefs criticised are entirelyimaginary. If any other group but Muslims were the target this would be obviousat once. This film is purely and simply an incitement to religioushatred. It stokes hatred in both of its intended audiences Christians andJews in the US, and Muslims in the wider world. If jihadi videos are banned inthis country, and their distributors prosecuted, the same should be true ofthis film and for the same reasons.
Max Fisher's
Atlanticarticle includes a link to the trailer of the film that sparked thesetragic incidents. Fisher says: Obviously, there's a lot to this story that'sstill unclear. What we do know is that some members of Egypt'ssometimes-raucous, often rumor-heavy media have been playing highly offensiveclips from the highly offensive film, stressing its U.S. and Copticconnections. In the clip below, controversial TV host Sheikh KhaledAbdallah (known for such statements as "Iran is more dangerous to us thanthe Jews" and that Tehran had engineered a deadly soccer riot in Port Said)hypes the film as an American-Coptic plot and introduces what he says is itsopening scene. ... What exactly does the film say? It's still notclear, but it appears to compare Mohammed to a goat and Muslims, according toone translation, to "child-lovers." The New York Times' Liam Stack, offeringsome offhand translations of the scene shown above, called it a "doozy." The manin the scene says of his donkey, "This is the first Muslim animal." He asks thegoat if it likes girls; when it doesn't answer, he bursts into laughter andsays, "He doesn't like girls," according to Stack. Other scenes in the aboveclip seem to portray Muslim Egyptian characters, who for some reason all havestrong New York accents, asimmoral and violent, particularly toward the Christians whom they pursue withnear-genocidal fervor. A number of Islam's founding figures, including theprophet, are accused of homosexuality and child molestation.
The Turkish Weekly
reports:
The violence in Benghazifollowed protests in neighboring Egyptwhere protesters scaled the walls of the Cairoembassy and tore down the American flag and burned it during protests over whatdemonstrators said was a USfilm that insulted the Prophet Mohammed.
On Tuesday, Egypt'sprestigious Al-Azhar mosque and seat of Sunni learning condemned asymbolic "trial" of the Prophet organized by a USgroup including Terry Jones, a Christian pastor who triggered riots in Afghanistanin 2010 by threatening to burn the Koran. But it was not immediatelyclear whether it was the event sponsored by Jones, or another, possiblyrelated, anti-Islam production, that prompted the melee at the US Embassy in Egypt,and possibly the violence in Libya.
San Francisco Gate
reportsthat: An anti-Islamic movie whose screening triggered protests andattacks on U.S.missions in Egyptand Libya thatresulted in the death of an American, was an attempt to stoke sectariantensions in Egypt,the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm said in a statement. The Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political wing, "stronglycondemned" what it said was a movie produced by U.S.-based Coptic Christians,dubbing it a "racist crime and a failed attempt to provoke sectarian strifebetween the two elements of the nation, Muslims and Christians," according to astatement posted on the party's website.
Sam Kiley
reportson the film
If there was ever a propaganda product designed to enrageand incite violence it is The Innocence of Muslims. A mere 14 minutes ofthe two-hour film produced by an Israeli-American has already provoked riots inEgypt, and anarmed attack on the American consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi. ... A trailer posted on the internet on Tuesday reveals a crass, violent,amateurish and vindictive attack on the Prophet Mohammed. He is portrayedas a pervert, drunk, and thief, who derives his own teachings not as a resultof divine guidance but "made up… it will be a mix between versions of theTorah, and versions of the New Testament, and [made into] false verses".
Better ignored than given the oxygen of publicity which hasfanned flames in Libya,the film is likely to provoke further violence across the Islamic world. The effects on Libya are particularly tragic. They play into the hands of smallbut well-organised violent Islamic groups who failed to attract much of afollowing in Libya'sfirst ever democratic election this year.
The Innocence of Muslims will now be seized upon by violentgroups who will insist that it reflects the true' view of the Prophet by manyChristians and other westerners. Not least because many Muslimsstill live in nations in which there is no freedom of the press and thereforefind it incomprehensible that even foolish videos of this nature are notproduced with official state sanction.
Ahram Online published an article with the headline
DiasporaCopts not responsible for anti-Islam filmafter the information about SamBasile being the producer of the film was released.
An American-Israeli filmmaker went into hiding Tuesday afterhis film attacking Islam's Prophet Muhammad sparked angry assaults byultra-conservative Muslims on US diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, wherethe US ambassador and three embassy staff were reportedly killed. The filmwas initially believed to be produced by members of the Coptic Diaspora.Maurice Sadek, a conservative Coptic Christian living in the US, andcontroversial Pastor Terry Jones, who is known for his burning of the Quran,are believed to have been promoting the film but were not involved in itsproduction, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal.
A Tampanewspaper
reportsthat
... Terry Jones and other backers ofMuhammad, a movie that repeatedly mocks the prophet and Islam, wereunapologetic about the role they may have had in triggering the violence. "The fact that angry protesters climbed the wall at the U.S. Embassy in Cairotoday, ripped down the American flag and tore it apart further indicates thelack of respect that Islam has for any other religion, any other flag, anyfreedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of religion," Jones saidTuesday in a statement released before the death in Benghazi was confirmed. "Itfurther illustrates that they have no tolerance for anything outside ofMuhammad." ... Tuesday's film controversy came as Jones announcedhe planned to put the prophet on trial in what he called International JudgeMuhammad Day. In a video announcing the "trial," Jones, wearing a blackshirt with the word "Infidel" printed on it in Arabic, said that he planned tocharge the prophet "with being a false prophet, thus leading 1.6 billion peopleastray." Organizers of the Egyptian protest said they'd begun planningthe event last week when a controversial Egyptian Christian activist who livesin the United States, MorrisSadek, released a trailer for Muhammad.
It is possible that rather than a spontaneous riot in Libyaleading to the attack on the Embassy, Al Qaeda may have planned and carried outthe attack.
The News in Pakistanreports that Al Qaeda
releaseda video in September 11th
... declaring the United States is at war with Islam and thatAmerican Muslims should brace for a "holocaust", US monitors saidWednesday. The video, which features Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri aswell as its American spokesman Adam Gadahn, is entitled "Truth has Come andFalsehood has Perished" and was posted on jihadist forums, according to SITEand IntelCenter.
According to a SITEtranscript, Gadahn rejects President Barack Obama's assertion that the United States is not at war with Islam because "Americais crystal-clear about its opposition to Islam as a political system". Referring to US drone strikes, he says: "Today, American Muslims are beingkilled in Yemen,tomorrow they're going to be killed (by the USgovernment) in New York and Los Angeles. Get ready for the holocaust."
Wael Ghonim a well known Egyptian journalist
wrote "Attacking the US embassy on September 11 and raising flags linked to AlQaeda will not be understood by the American public as a protest over thefilm about the prophet. Instead, it will be received as a celebration of thecrime that took place on September 11."
The Quilliam Foundation in Londonpublished a statement which claims that
TheAttack on the US Consulate Was A Planned Terrorist Assault Against US andLibyan Interests by Al Qaeda
The military assault against the US Consulate in Benghazishould not be seen as part of a protest against a low budget film which wasinsulting Islam there were just a few peaceful protesters present at theevent. Indeed, there have been no other demonstrations regarding this film in Libya.
We at Quilliam believe the attack on the USconsulate in Benghazi was a wellplanned terrorist attack that would have occurred regardless of thedemonstration, to serve another purpose. According to information obtained byQuilliam from foreign sources and from within Benghazi we have reason tobelieve that the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi came to avenge thedeath of Abu Yaya al-Libi, al-Qaeda's second in command killed a few monthsago.
The reasons for this are as follows: 24 hours before thisattack, none other than the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released avideo on Jihadist forums to mark the anniversary of 9/11. In this video,Zawahiri acknowledged the death of his second in command Abu Yahya and urgedLibyans to avenge his killing. According to our sources, the attack was thework of roughly 20 militants, prepared for a military assault it is rare thatan RPG7 is present at a peaceful protest. According to our sources, theattack against the Consulate had two waves. The first attack led to USofficials being evacuated from the consulate by Libyan security forces, onlyfor the second wave to be launched against US officials after they were kept ina secure location.
The weak security environment in Libyaincluding in Benghazi and thefailure of the government to project its power outside of the capital have beenused as a cover for the attack. The failure to rebuild the defence andsecurity sector, in an accountable, professional and responsible manner willonly further the likelihood of such attacks in the future. Attacks in Benghaziare not new the Red Cross has been attacked multiple times in previousmonths, as have the USconsulate and also the UKAmbassador, and such security lapses encourage attacks. The InternationalCommunity must take the challenge of not allowing extremist elements to hijackthe Arab Uprisings very seriously, by renewing their focus on civic andgovernance responses to check the efforts of Islamist extremists attempting toexploit the inevitable security vacuum.
And, the New York Times published
U.S.Suspects Libya Attack Was Planned which adds even more credibility tothis Al Qaeda connection. That article says
... Officials in Washingtonstudying the events of the past 24 hours have focused on the differencesbetween the protests at the American embassy in Cairoand the attack on the consulate in Benghazi,the Libyan city where Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and the other Americanswere killed.
The protesters in Cairoappeared to be a genuinely spontaneous unarmed mob angered by an anti-Islamvideo said to have been produced in the United States. By contrast, it appeared theattackers in Benghazi were armedwith mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Intelligence reports areinconclusive at this point, officials said, but indications suggest thepossibility that an organized group had either been waiting for an opportunityto exploit like the protests over the video or perhaps even generated theprotests as a cover for their attack. ...
Loonwatch has put together a series of images from Libyatitled
LibyansProtest and Condemn Attack on US Consulate in Benghazi that shows manyordinary Libyans carrying handmade signs decrying the violence and expressingsorrow over the deaths. It is obvious from these photographs and from theoutpouring of anger towards those who carried out this murder, that the Libyanpeople to not condone this action.
The confusion surrounding the film, and the events in Egyptand Libyadeepens by the hour.
Sam Bacile doesn't exist, and there may be no 2-hour film,only the 14-minute YouTube clip
Garance Franke-Ruta at the Atlanticprovides a timeline, and
reports thatserious questions have been raised about details of Bacile's identity as he hasdescribed it to reporters, as well as whether there is any full length film atall.)
CBS News
reportsthat
But some key facts about Bacile's background and role in thefilm crumbled Wednesday as a Christian activist involved in the film projectsaid that Bacile was a pseudonym, that he was not Jewish or Israeli, and that agroup of Americans of Mideast origin collaborated on the film. Officials in Israelalso said there was no record of Bacile as an Israeli citizen. Doubtsmounted as well about the provenance of the film, "Innocence of Muslims."Several Hollywood and Californiafilm industry groups and permit agencies said they had no records of theproject. Only an employee at a faded Hollywood movietheater confirmed that an entire version of the film had staged a brief runseveral months ago.
Jeffrey Goldberg
reportsthat there is a very real possibility that Sam Bacile is possibly atleast a pseudonym, and that there might not be such a person. Goldbergtalked to Steve Klein who has been identified as a "consultant" on thefilm and got a confusing story.
Max Blumenthal published an article
MeetThe Right-Wing Extremist Behind Anti-Muslim Film That Sparked Deadly Riots whichprovides a great deal of information about Steve Klein and his anti-Muslimefforts. Blumenthal says:
... While Bacile claims to be in hiding, and his identityremains murky, another character who has been publicly listed as a consultanton the film is a known anti-Muslim activist with ties to the extreme Christianright and the militia movement. He is Steve Klein, a Hemet, California based insurance salesman whoclaims to have led a "hunter-killer team" in Vietnam."
Klein is a right-wing extremist who emerged from thesame
axisof Islamophobia that produced Anders Behring Breivik and which takesinspiration from the writings of Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, and DanielPipes.
It appears Klein (or someone who shares his name and views)is an enthusiastic
commenter onGeller's website, Atlas Shrugs, where he recently complained about MittRomney's "support for a Muslim state in Israel'sHeartland." In July 2011, Spencer's website, Jihad Watch,
promoted arally Klein organized alongside the anti-Muslim Coptic extremist JosephNasrallah to demand the firing of LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, whom theypainted as a dupe for Hamas.
Klein is also closely affiliated with the Christian right inCalifornia, organizing resentmentagainst all the usual targets Muslims, homosexuals, feminists, and evenMormons. He is a
board member andfounder of a group called
CourageousChristians United, which promotes anti-Mormon, anti-Catholic andanti-Muslim literature (including the work of Robert Spencer)on its website. In2002, Klein
ranfor the California Insurance Commissioner under the AmericanIndependent Party, an extremist fringe party linked to the militia movement,garnering a piddling 2 percent of the vote.
Klein has been closely affiliated with the Church atKaweah, an extreme evangelical church located 70 miles southeast of Fresnothat serves as a nexus of neo-Confederate, Christian Reconstructionist, andmilitia movement elements. The Southern Poverty Law Center produced a
report onKaweah this spring that noted Klein's long record of activism against Muslims: ... Like many other activists who fashion themselves as"counter-Jihadists," Klein has organized against the construction of mosques inhis area. While
leafleting againsta planned mosque in Temecula, California,which he claimed would herald the introduction of Shariah law to the quietsuburb, Klein remarked, "It all comes down to the first amendment. I don't careif you disagree with me. Just don't cut off my head."
Klein appears to be
allied withthe Na
