Anti-Muslim film blamed for uprisings allegedly linked to Coptic Christian living in California

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
9/14/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

While he denies directing 'Innocence of Muslims,' some evidence suggests otherwise

An amateurish, homemade film production denouncing the Muslim faith entitled "Innocence of Muslims" circulated on the Internet is being blamed for anti-American protests across the Arab world. The filmmakers responsible for the film have been shrouded in mystery - now, a Coptic Christian by the name of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has been linked to the project.

The filmmakers responsible for the film have been shrouded in mystery - now, a Coptic Christian by the name of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has been linked to the project.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Residing in California, Nakoula denies being the director of "Innocence," but the credited director, listed as Sam Bacile is strikingly similar to Nakoula's middle name.

While denying he directed the film, the cell phone number he gave reporters for the elusive Bacile was traced to the same address near Los Angeles where AP reporters found Nakoula. Federal court papers said Nakoula's aliases included Nicola Bacily, Erwin Salameh among others.

Nakoula, previously convicted of financial crimes has acknowledged his role in managing and providing logistics for the production.

The 55-year-old Nakoula told The Associated Press in an interview outside Los Angeles that he assisted in the filming of "Innocence" which mocks Muslims and the prophet Muhammad. He freely provided the first details about the film's shadowy production history.

During a conversation outside his home, he offered his driver's license to show his identity but kept his thumb over his middle name, Basseley. Records checks by the AP subsequently found it and other connections to the Bacile persona.

Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, who burned Qurans on the ninth anniversary of 9/11, said he spoke with the movie's director on the phone this week and prayed for him.

"I have not met him. Sam Bacile, that is not his real name," Jones said. "I just talked to him on the phone. He is definitely in hiding and does not reveal his identity. He was quite honestly fairly shook up concerning the events and what is happening. A lot of people are not supporting him."

The film was implicated in protests that resulted in the burning of the U.S. consulate Tuesday in the Libyan city of Benghazi.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Innocence of Mulims, blasphemy, California, Coptic Christian

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1 - 10 of 22 Comments

Mary
3 months ago
Islam, enforced by Shariah law, condemns ANY criticism or analysis or disrespect of Islam or Mohammad under penalty of death, and Shariah law claims worldwide jurisdiction. For President Obama to declare riots/violence/murder were justified by criticism of Mohammad (the low-budget movie was actually a portrayal of part of the biography of Mohammad) is the seditious enforcement of Shariah law. President Obama needs to be impeached for treason! www.impeachpresidentobama.weebly.com
Judy Claar
8 months ago
Rob, I Agree with your last post. The last paragraph was magnificent! Blessings...
Rob
8 months ago
I find all this stuff nonsense. Mike, why on earth can't you folks just honor a tradition and leave it alone? If you don't believe in God, so be it. Who cares? And to go the other way, I find the whole war on Christmas to be silly too, as if the God of universe needs some sort of affirmation from Macy's department store or the like. God is God regardless of what we do or don't do.

But I would say this, sure seems like the more we remove God from the public domain, the general morality of this country just get's worse and worse. This exercise of "freedom" only seems to be ushering the decay of our country.
Judy Claar
9 months ago
Juneau Alaska: Mike, I agree that there should be no religious bias in American Law. That American Law should be True and Patriotic: "I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, for liberty and justice for all".

It would serve no purpose, for a religion or religions, to be in the government. BUT, government, MUST adhere to the words in the Pledge of Allegiance.

This DOES NOT MEAN eliminating the "Pledge" like the Ten Commandments were removed from government buildings. It DOES NOT MEAN removing the Word, God. It means: KEEPING FREEDOM OF RELIGION. Whether it be Catholics or atheists. Atheism is as much a religion as is the Catholic religion. I do not like your religion forced on me, any more than you like Catholicism forced on you. So you see, WE BOTH HAVE OUR GOD. And in that respect, the Word God, SHOULD NEVER BE ELIMINATED. The Word God, RESPECTS ALL RELIGIONS. Blessings... Do you know what blessings are? Cheers!
Rob
9 months ago
Seems to me the job for securing Israel is Israel's. We are not their military even though we probably fund most of it. Netanyahu is merely whining because Obama isn't going along with everything he wants. And since Romney will tow the line, of course he's going to like Romney. Now assuming Romney doesn't high tail it to france like the last war he had a chance to be in, I'm sure he will have no problem starting another one given his son's won't serve in it. Netanyahu had the chance to speak plainly about Obama and failed to do so. So are we not to take him at his word?

But that being said, what exactly do you folks want Obama to do? Do you want Obama/us to invade every middle eastern country? How do you suppose we get rid of the threat of radical islam? Or do you just want him to talk tougher? Or this ridiculous apology nonsense you guys keep floating around? I know, the US never apologizes for anything right?

Crazy people do what crazy people do. But until more Americans step up to fight either with their person or their wallets, I do not support funding another war with debt. As for whether I feel safer now than I did then, yes. In fact, prior to 9/11 I wasn't scared and after 9/11 I wasn't scared. There isn't much we can do about crazy people wanting to hurt us. No different than those poor people in Colorado who got shot at the movies or anytime random violence occurs. And when the time comes to fight some holy war that you guys seem hell bent on waging, then hopefully we'll be ready for it. But today, we are broke, divided and in no condition to fight a war.
Joe
9 months ago
Where has the Obama administration been while Coptic Catholics and Orthodox have their churches bombed and their people crucified, shot, stabbed, and murdered? I haven't seen this referenced video and do not know the manner in which the content was presented, but the Coptics have reason to be concerned for their safety in the Middle East and perhaps were just trying to call attention to the injustices going on (although religious bashing does not help the cause). I speak this as an Eastern Catholic with family in the Middle East. Tolerance is not a two way street with radical Muslims. They have always hated America no matter who is president. But Obama has done nothing to call attention to human rights violations at the hands of Islamic extremists and regimes. All he does is play the blame game to tout his own imaginary successes.
Terri K
9 months ago
Coincidentally, I recently read Andrew M. Greenwell's book _The Heart's Witness Against Muhammad_. If Mr. Greenwell's sources are reliable, then the film's depictions of Muhammed (may God have mercy on his soul) are accurate. This is according to Muhammad's Muslim biographers. That said, the film is so poorly written that I never would have recognized the pedophilia, rape, adultery, genocide, etc. if I hadn't just read about those events and character traits in Greenwell's book. The film is almost slapstick--very silly.I can see why it would be offensive from the aspect of being irreverent, but it's so goofy that the fact that it ignited bloody protests suggests it was the excuse that extremists have been waiting for.
Joe
9 months ago
This movie is not the cause for the backlash. The Democratic convention and the many times they bragged about killing Bin Laden. Now, they are blaming this movie, hogwash!!!

Lets see how many times, they answer the question of "are you better off now vs 4 years ago" with we killed Bin Laden and GM is doing well. Now the real question is "are you safer now vs 4 years ago?".
vance
9 months ago
This is a bogus excuse. Nobody until now even knew that this film existed. I read where this film has been around for three months. Yahoo News featured it on their site where I saw it. Had they not featured it, I would not have known it existed. What I find so pathetic is Obama and his admin apologizing all over themselves for this stupid film that nobody saw instead stead of condemning the murder and violence of the muslims. Notice how the more Obama apologizes the more violent the muslims get.
JoAnn
9 months ago
We must not forget that Obama is the one who seeded all this unrest in the first place with all his encouragement to the OWS and "Arab Spring." People better start realizing who this man in the WH is. Did everyone forget his campaign promises. And, now we are getting more of the same rhetorice he gave us the last time he was elected while debasing everyone who gets in his way because he can't run on his own record. Give me a break. Netanyahu had his number from the very beginning. The first time he met with Obama, he said that Obama was a disaster to the Jewish nation. Oh, by all means, be afraid of Romney. Obama has made this country way more unsafe then it has ever been. We are in more conflicts than we were before he got in office than ever before. His apology tour around the world did not work and only showed our enemies his weakness. Folks, this is just the beginning. Obama is sympathetic to the Palestinians and he can't wait to give Jerusalem to them. Jerusalem will be the price for peace that will never come until Jesus returns. God bless.

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