E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSQuestions swirled Wednesday around the makers of a provocative anti-Islam movie blamed by some for triggering protests at U.S. diplomatic outposts in Egypt and Libya and sparking an attack on the latter that claimed the life of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
At least one clip from what is described as a feature film titled “Innocence of Muslims” was posted on YouTube and later reposted after being translated into Arabic. The clip, an amateurish production featuring dozens of actors, portrays Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be God’s prophet, as a womanizer, a homosexual and a child abuser.
Reports published by The Associated Press and the Wall Street Journalidentified the filmmaker as Sam Bacile. The AP described Bacile as a 56-year-old Israeli American real estate developer from California; the Journal said he was a 52-year-old real estate developer, but did not say where he lived. Both news organizations said that they interviewed Bacile, who was said to be in hiding, by phone, and both quoted him as saying the film was intended to show that "Islam is a cancer."
"This is a political movie," the AP quoted him as saying. "The U.S. lost a lot of money and a lot of people in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we're fighting with ideas."
But by midday Wednesday, Bacile's credibility -- indeed his very existence -- were being questioned:
- The Atlantic quoted a man reported by the AP to be a consultant on the film, Steve Klein, as saying that “Bacile” is a pseudonym and that the filmmaker “is not Israeli and most likely not Jewish.”
Klein, a self-described militant Christian activist in Riverside, Calif., told the Atlantic he doesn’t know the man’s real name and indicated that the filmmaker contacted him because he leads anti-Islam protests outside mosques and schools.
- A source close to the cast and crew of the film told NBC News that the man known as Bacile misled the actors and production crew.
"The entire crew and cast are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer," the source said. "We are 100 percent not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose. We are shocked by the drastic rewrites of the script and lies that were told to all involved. We are deeply saddened by the tragedies that have occurred."
- Israeli officials also told the AP that there is no record of an Israeli citizen named Sam Bacile.
- California corporate records show no one by that name as holding a real estate license there.
The 13-minute, English-language trailer was posted on YouTube in July by an account registered to Sam Bacile. The account, which was created in April, lists Bacile's age as 75 and has been used only twice apart from posting the trailer -- once to "like" another video and to make one comment, in Arabic. That comment, which referenced a debate on Egyptian TV over the "Innocence of Muslims" clip, was translated as, "Oh, Animal, it’s 100% an American movie."
The trailer shows an amateur cast performing a wooden dialogue of insults cast as revelations about Muhammad.
Many Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any manner, let alone insult the prophet. A Danish newspaper's 2005 publication of 12 caricatures of the prophet triggered riots in many Muslim countries.
The Journal reported the film had been promoted by Terry Jones, the Florida pastor whose burning of Qurans previously sparked deadly riots in Pakistan and other Muslim nations.
Jones, the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., told NBC News on Wednesday that he aired the trailer once in his makeshift church. But he said efforts to screen it on Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, were thwarted by technical difficulties.
NBC's Kerry Sanders talks about the controversial pastor's history of provocative acts against Islam and how he may be tied to an inflammatory film that has sparked uproar within the global Muslim community.
"We tried to stream it … and every time we did that, it was cut off, disappeared,” he said.
A statement on the pastor’s political website, posted late Tuesday, said that the screening was to have been part of a day-long ‘International Judge Muhammad Day’ in which the Muslim prophet would be subjected to a mock trial for “promoting murder, rape, and destruction of people and property through his writings called the Koran.”
Jones also told NBC’s Kerry Sanders that he had been in contact with the movie’s producer, but did not provide financial support for its production or distribution.
The AP also reported that Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-born Coptic Christian in the United States known for his anti-Islam views, said he was promoting the video on his website and on certain TV stations, which he did not identify.
Although it was posted to YouTube in July, the film only attracted attention in the Middle East after an unknown person recently dubbed it into Egyptian Arabic. That translation, which the man who identified himself as Bacile told the AP was accurate, has been broadcast repeatedly on Egyptian media in recent weeks after being seized upon by extreme Islamists who dislike the presence of the country’s Coptic Christians.
NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports on the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. The envoy is the first American ambassador killed on duty since 1979.
Film news site The Wrap said the Arabic-dubbed version had garnered more than 40,000 views by Tuesday afternoon. However, that clip appeared to have been taken down on Wednesday.
The AP quoted the man who identified himself as Bacile as saying that the film was made in the summer of 2011, with 59 actors and about 45 people behind the camera. The Journal quoted him as saying that the film cost $5 million, which was raised from about 100 Jewish donors, whom he declined to identify.
The man also told the AP that the full film, which he said is three hours in length, was shown only once, to a mostly empty theater in Hollywood earlier this year.
No record of such a screening could be found.
NBC News' Alfred Arian, Kerry Sanders and Bob Sullivan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- US official killed in anti-American protests at Libya consulate
- No Obama-Netanyahu meeting as rift over Iran widens
- Where is China's heir-apparent? Rumors abound
- Dead Guantanamo detainee had been cleared for release
- 100 most endangered species listed; worth saving?
- Afghan Taliban made $400 million last year, UN estimates
- Iran sanctions working, except where it counts
- 18 Afghan police join us, Taliban claim
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
You cannot understand islam without understanding the "prophet". I am totally offended by this "prophet". Sura 98 verse 6 of the Koran...The unbelievers are the vilest of created beings. You expect me to have respect for that kind of trash?
Very soon this Israeli American Jew will board a flight and land in Israel where he will be safe among his brothern, well protected. I would ask him if he realised that his action has made our fighting men/women in Afghanistan a target? Some fanatic over there very soon will retaliate against us. Will anyone in our congress stand up to Israel ? Certainly not.
That is exactly it, BlueCollar. Instead of searching for real peace, these are the guys who are the real cancer, the warmongers. He put the American troops in harms ways, three people have already died, and he rests in safety. I think this Bacile is an imbecile.
Part of the problem the West has had is that the barbaric reigon was propped up by medleing politicians with high moral ideas at the turn of the 20th century. History shows that the Islamic religion is a cancer that effects all it touches.
The problem is that Westerers thing that because we believe in Christian based morals that others will share them if ony we give them a chance. Well the experiment has been tried time and time over again and always failed. There has been many moderate attempts to drag the religious zealots of Islam into modern society, but they would rather kill or be killed than to change, that, by definition, is called Fanatics of a Religious Cult.
Look at the person who is the inventor of Islam and wonder why the cult does not want to discuss him. He was a Criminal and a rapist and to speak of him is a crime because they would rather hide their shame than to be critisized. This explains the interpretation of the Hebrew text that they stole in the 7th cenury. Women will always be killed and persecuted based on Blind, ignorant faith in Islam. read and learn about Islam, because only information in truth is what they fear. But do not believe you will learn any truth on this news site.
When will the world wake up and destroy this cult before it destroys everyone else?? This is not likely since they were invited to pary for two hours at the DNC by invitation of Barry's organizers. This fact was not covered on the open news. People actually, were forced to go looking for truth in news rather than having truth being presented to us.
This is a deliberate attept to secretly bring Islam to our culture. There is no other explanation as to why it was kept secret. He ordered a change in venue fo the last night of the DNC and blamed it on a thunderstorm, when the real reason was to hide the Muslims from view, and to divert the protestors that had been outside the DNC the prior two days.
Lazarus
The problem with this situation is the double standard that every religion, with the exception of Islam, can and gets bashed, and this will probably continue. The radical Muslims cannot act like human beings when they get insulted; they immediately fly off the handle and start killing. Did the US ambassador write this movie? Was he responsible for showing it? There should be respect for ALL religions, but when the ignorant or hateful insult others, there still has to be human civility when dealing with the response. If Catholics in this country stormed the Brooklyn Museum of Art (or where ever they showed Christ in a jar of urine and Mary covered with dung) and killed random people and burned the building down, you would call them right wing nut job murderers. You would not hold the artist(if you want to call him that) responsible. People shouldn't be insulting others, but humans need to respond as humans, not animals.
It is not Islam only that is a cancer, stupid!
Cesar,
You are partly correct if you are speaking from a historical context, but in the here and now, Muslims are the cancer because they are working to destroy the host (Humanity). Learn about their cultist religion and then ask yourself if they can be compared to any other modern day religion. They are unique in many ways, so I will list a few.
They are mostly illeterate and are kept so for a reason. Their concept of the world is controlled to a point that they cannot read and learn other ideas in any context. Therefore depend on someone to tell them what to believe.
Their religion is so dominating that if a MAN should want to and try to become more humane and embrace the ideas of compassion and tolerance, their peers will literally kill them as welll as their families.
Their religious doctrine is so controlling that Mob mentality is often encouraged to unite the people in a common goal to kill all th unbelievers(Infadels) and sinners (Believers).That is why we can see a group of a hundren men shouting and chanting "God's Will" as a husband murders his wife after she was raped by another member of their religion. In terms of Traditional Western values, the Rapist would have been killed by the husband or at the least faced legal proceedings. But the wife would have not been put to death.
Their Islamic Laws say that a woman who is raped will die because it was her duty to die rather than be raped. Thus their logic says that she must have fornicated and enjoyed the act, (Typical Male thought process, minus western morals).
If a young female is raped they require, by law, she marry the rapist and if pregnant raise his bastard child. She is for all intents and purpose a slave to the Mongrel Criminal for the rest of her miserable life. However, the man has the right to kill her or throw her away in disgrace by the same laws that doomed her as soon as she was unfortunate enough to be born an Islamic woman.
Thousands of years ago the Christian faith in all of its glory did many of the same things, but wars and conflict has taken away their propensity to commit crimes in the name of God. The same is true for the Hebrews, but never forgeting that All of this religious nonsense originated from the Hebrew laws, most of which was written by Moses and Abraham.
As the world seems to be gravitating towards a more tolerant, gentle means of coexisting with each other (politically), the Muslims are trying to drag the world back to the ancient times of barbarity and history written in blood.
Slavery was common in many forms in the ancient times. Have you ever wondered about Eunuchs? I have . Jesus was once asked about them and he responded with a good description. Perhaps someone out there can help me with the passage? The point is as we look at the Muslims who seem so affraid of Women as if every one of them are the representation of Biblical Evil that they blame their own weaknesses and sinful ways and thoughts onto women, or so it seems. Their concept of "right vs Wrong" seems to revolve around this notion that conveniently supports their manly defiency, and poor self esteem.
The last point: They believe in Predestined future so everything has already been written. This belief is, in part, the reason Women follow the religion. They are predestined to be dominated by men and all the terrible things that will happen is because "God wills it". This belief also gives rise to all the barbarous ways of the true believers. "If it already written, then I must be doing God's Will."
When the believers dragged the 18 people out of a hotel and chopped off their heads for dancing ang listening to music, they were just doing waht God had already ordained to happen. How convenient is that for a believer?
People you all need to decide whether it is raining or whether somebody's bladder is being emptied all around you, when the liberal press tries to convince you to tolerate the actions of a whole Religion, not just a few bad apples as some would have us believe. If it were just a few radicals, the rest of the civic minded people of their faith would drop onto them like a bag of Hammers from heaven.
Lazarus
"...in hiding". Yep. That about says it all when it comes to Mr. Bacile's character.
Its way past time to send all the muslims out of America starting at the top! There are no peacefull muslims unless they are dead muslims! This will come to a head very soon; taking obamas side is dangerouse as those are his people!
Exactly what we said about the Germans and the Japanese in WW2!!!!-------"the only good German or Japanese is a dead one!!!"------now we love each other!!!
Come out, come out where ever you are Mr. cowardly film maker.
Spot,
Sit, stay.
He was brave enough to speak the truth. Do you know that the DNC invited an organization of Muslims to come and pray for two hours before the start of the final day? Do you really think the location was moved for a Thunder Storm. If so, I have some Beach Front Property for sale in Arizona at a really good price for you to look at. Protesters were doing their thing outside the DNC for the prior two days, but wait, that was not in the news as seen here, so it really did not happen, right?
They did not televise the two hour Muslim gathering at the DNC, and they refused to allow a Catholic Bishop to come to pray for them is was the real news of the DNC, not the fairy tale presentation we were fed. Nor did they give the protesters time to respond to the move of venue.
The film maker has ever right to fear for his life. He looked the beast in the eye and spit at into it.
It is about time we had some reality and truth given to us instead of the apparently secret agenda of the liberal press and Barry's minions.
Lazarus
When people do or write outragous things they do it for ----"money or notoriety or both!"-----before he wrote this nonesense----------"Who had heard of him??"------"the door to money---he hopes!"
Unbelievable. This film maker has blood on his hands for insiting a riot and the consequent killings. It's like yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre!
Whens the Last Time you heard of the Russian or Chinese Embassy Breached?
I guesss the staff deserved it because they are US Citizens?
An Apology will do Just Fine!
At least the Libyan government has stood up to condemn the attacks. From latimes.com:
Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf apologized for the deaths and vowed that justice would be served.
"We refuse that our nation's lands be used for cowardice and revengeful acts. It is not a victory for God's Sharia or his prophet for such disgusting acts to take place," Magariaf said. "We apologize to the United States, the people of America, and the entire world. We and the American government are standing on the same side, we stand on the same side against outlaws."
All religions are cancers on society. Some more than others. We as Americans cannot let them infringe on our freedoms in this country.
It's a shame that a whole group of people can hold the entire American people in contempt for the acts of this one man and his group.
Unfortunately, in the case of the Egyptians, they are only hurting themselves with their acts of protest. The country's primary industry and main source of revenue is tourism and while the protesters may be having the time of their lives with their new found freedoms, they're also killing off the proverbial "golden goose" of tourism; it's not only the Americans who will pass on visiting their country and it's prized historical relics, but it's all the Europeans and others who will also spend their money elsewhere. The decline in tourism has already hurt their country greatly.
And if they don't handle the situation correctly and still hold the entire American people in contempt, the US should just cancel their annual check of some $1.3 billion as a result. Have fun protesting, but no more funding.
This guy is a moron, and deserves to be punished. You can't harass savages and expect no trouble.
Islam is a black plague on this earth and Islam will use all our liberal laws to destroy America and America will not wake up till it is too late. These people are animals not people. They are the flees on the back of liberal rats. Their liberalism will cage us all. This is not a religion for the civilize world. It is a religion for killers, thieves and the insane.
It bigots like you that start religious wars.
Gary
It is people like you that put there head in a sand....
paragus
Actually, their heads are shoved so far up an anatomical opening in their posterior, it would take them five years to see daylight if you yelled fire next to them.
Radical Jews will bring destruction down on all our heads. Israel meddles in out political system and is hell bent on dragging us into another war. I am beginning to doubt that many Jews in the US are loyal Americans.
me too mr.rath!
You------- are a "mental case!"----------shades of our treatment of American citizens in WW2 (Japanese Americans)-----no different than "Nazi Germany!"
you my friend are a fool
"vet 1971"----As we used to say "my friend"---"it takes one to know one!!"----------(Vet WW2)
you fought the worst that the world came up with back than, Islam is the worst now. One vet to another God bless you and what went through, my war was Vietnam.
we live in a world of many different beliefs of christianity..but not one freakin one should say murder over a movie...it wasnt about the movie people,just an excuse to commit a senseless crime and then blame it on religion..its truly heartbreaking>>>>>>>
Yes, in America we have freedom of speech, but at the same time we should not let this freedom override our common sense.
Personally, I don't agree with the beliefs of Muslims, their treatment of women especially. But I don't go around insulting their beliefs in the public eye, and making blatantly offensive videos just to insult them. Why? Because that's not te way people should handle things, grown adults especially. Oh, and jihad.
I know not all Muslims will take part in the "holy war" to it's full extent, but there are some who won't hesitate to kill if they feel Islam has been attacked. The Taliban. Al Qaeda. And apparently some people in Libya who killed four Americans. Now Mr. Filmmaker is in hiding, because if he comes out, they'll kill him, too.
Was it worth it, Bacile? Were the deaths of four Americans worth the making of your angry, hate-filled film? God says to "love your enemies". Way to spread the love. =/
You mention "Common Sense"------------that is a 'misnomer'-------it should be called "Uncommon Sense" as most people do not have it!!
I'm SO SICK of people using religion as a means to mistreat others. FREAKING LEARN THE GOLDEN RULE and live by it. You don't want the other guys to attack your religion, then don't do it to them.
Additionally, adapt to the modern age: The world is connected now and you will be exposed to ideas that are different than your own. You will need a thicker skin - some people will say things that anger you. You cannot riot and kill because your feelings got hurt. Why not focus that energy into praying for humankind? Our race needs as much prayer as possible, from any and all religions.
This is a Christian nation,not a muslim nation. If those savages want to be hear they need to adapt or stay in own where they can kill each other and not bother us.
You conveniently forget "Christian violence towards others" throughout the Centuries!
that is then this is now, you live in the past and forgive them is you will but you will go under alone I hope
It is not a Christian nation, and defining any nation as a theocracy is what sets individuals and governments back in the 21st century (see: all the countries that define themselves as Islamic nations).
The United States was founded by a group of people with JUDEO-CHRISTIAN and even MUSLIM beliefs (e.g. Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran). Its own officially codifying document, the Constitution, bears not one mention of God (nor Christ).
Even the treaty of Tripoli, signed under President George Washington's administration, explicitly states: "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion," which is about as crystal clear as you can get.
And as I stated before, given the JUDEO-CHRISTIAN, MUSLIM, and AGNOSTIC beliefs of the founders, even the mention of "God" in the Declaration of Independence could refer to the God worshiped or acknowledged by any of those religions.
Obviously, the actions of the extremist fundamentalists from Libya, a country that at one time did explicitly call itself an Islamic nation ("Islam is the religion of the state"), are unconscionable. God does not need fundamentalists to kill, maim, or belittle other humans for Him.
Where is this guys film i be the first in line to watch it....haha
Sounds like you have nothing better to do!!
It will be #1 at the box office soon!!
You better watch what you're saying, the day will come, if this is allowed to persist, your own beliefs (what ever they may be) could come into question. This is America where Freedom of Speech and Expression, though you might not agree on someone else's views, is pivotal to our freedoms, thus the 1st Amendment. There are a number of movements that address organized religion, Catholics, other Christians, Judaism, Mormons, in a unflattering way but it's Islam with it's strict following of the Quran (not ambiguous or left up to interpretation) that presents a real problem in this Country, you can't touch Islam! The fear of reprisal is justified, even if you are not a practitioner as we have seen time and time again. A child is in fear of her life for doing little more than removing the pages from a Quran, unwittingly?? Surprisingly enough the population of Muslims here in America haven't addressed any of these issues, stood up for other Americans rights, even if they don't agree but they sure take advantage of "Freedom of Religion" as their right and want tolerance! Be careful not to overlook what might come back to bite you in the a*s. Freedom isn't just another word....
I have to agree with you Ray, The citizens of the United States have got to realize and study the Koran for themselves , Islam is an extremely dangerous religion. They have said they will do what they have to take the US from with in. They can lie to promote a religion that was started by Mohammed , the Jim Jones of the 6th century,they cuts the heads off of 10,000 Jews to get started. If you are not a Muslam , than you are an infedel and they will illimate you any way they can. It is not a peaceful religion, WAKE UP America!before its to late.
Are you all freaking serious?! If you were to change this around, and say that Christians went on a rampage because they thought "Jesus Christ Superstar" was a mocking portrayal of Christ, the entire world would condemn them! You're DEFENDING muslims for reacting that way?!?! You have all freakin lost your minds.
Islam will destroy this country and others the world. You need to take your head out of the sand.