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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.
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Leave a Comment:
‘Innocence of Muslims,’’ was produced by Sam Bacile. This guy is israeli... its another plot to start violence by people who either belong to or love israel. every body knows from past incidents that you cann't show Mohammed as a person or object (its against muslim views), this guys does that same again around 9/11...guess why and Israel is staying away from this AS USUAL..
Mr Karnes, I agree, Mr. Bacile...pack your bags, you are going to get a vacation, but I would make him pay for the ticket, he has already cost enough in lives lost and ill will.
For Romney to use this as a tool to fire up all the haters that support him, you Mr. Romney, should be on that same plane with Mr. Bacile, and no, we are not sending the secret service with you, you are going to stand up and be held accountable for once in your pathetic privileged life.
The film maker knew his film would result in violence. Is he trying to get the US in another war in the Mideast. I think that is his and his backers agenda - if we can keep the mideast stirred up they will grow weaker and Israel will grow stronger. The man is a traitor.
What a shame that they waste beautiful lives over such nonesense. My GOD is very strong and could care less. My GOD is not afraid or affected by movies or pictures or songs or anything else. Its too bad their politics and their religion are so weak.
Muhammad, the hidden prophet. If you tell the truth about him you have to go into hiding. Can anyone tell me one of his "prophesies"?
"the Arabic-dubbed version had garnered more than 40,000 views by Tuesday afternoon." So everyone in the Middle East with a computer saw this thing?!
Oh, I'm sure that there are more than 40,000 computers in the Middle East.
Religion is poisonous. All religion is poisonous.
Great Britain learned that the hard way. During the Elizabethan period. That's way many english migrated to America. They wanted to get away from religious nuts and practice their religion in peace.
Too bad we can't learn from Great Britain's mistakes.
As if we already did not have enough troubles. This Israeli American Jew could not wait to stirr more. I wish American Jewish donors had stayed away from this lunatic Bacile and that moronoic pastor Jones. Under the guise of freedom of expression both have put us in harm'way.
yo rotteneggs, the expression is could NOT care less. Think about it.
Bacile is a terrorist and should be tried as such
With friends like Israel.......
Who needs enemy
Religion has become a political tool of governments around the globe to incite the ignorant masses to support war. When will people wake up?
As per the constitution!,Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The freedom of speech has been abused. everyone thinks they can say anything, or print porn. and use freedom of speech as a the fall guy.
Bacile should be air dropped in the middle of Libya just for fun......
islam is a curse on the world. Stop any funds going to muslim countries, get our troops the hell out of any wars with muslims, let israel go crazy and nuke all of them.I've had enough of our gov kissing muslims asses, but what can you expect when we have a muslim POS in the whitehouse.a disabled USMC vietnam combat vet. Wake up America or the bastards will try and close our churches for their mosques.
Grow up.
Obama is not a Muslim. He has never worshiped in a Muslim mosque. He and his family attend a Christian church. But, isn't ingnorance bliss? "Don't confuse me with the facts. My mind is already made up." I doubt the USMC taught you that.
Doug J- not to, umm, challenge you or anything, but do you have a citation for that quote?
I thought not!Isn't it nice that you have the "freedom of speech" to spew outright LIES on an internet forum?
The Internet allows anything to go viral in minutes and for Muslims violently viral.
That's hardly a religion of peace.
Actions speak louder than words.
oh no! someone has insulted the all mighty towel head, pork eating, little boy loving crook muhamMAD. im so offended that I will kill people that had nothing to do with the film. this is some of the reasons we need to wipe out the radicals now they are all dilusional a holes
mohammed is a douche pipe.
"Islam is a cancer, period,"
Zealots kill more innocent folks than most cancer...just ask the 2,996 victims families of 9/11. And by the way.."Freedom of speech" doesn't allow someone to scream FIRE in a packed theater..so to speak..or spue HATE that causes death. This UN American should be found and charged for murder. mohammed is a douche pipe. Mohammed is just another name for GOD...You fool...sorry..Bible says I shouldn't call you a fool...YOU IDIOT!!!!
I can not get over HOW many Americans are blaming the Movie and the maker for this assault on America. You people blow me away. ANY reason let me repeat that ANY reason they can come up with to kill Americans they will do it. It was only a few months ago when prisoners had been Defacing the Koran and passing notes inside it. When the U.S. found this they burned the Koran and RIOTS STARTED. THERE OWN PEOPLE DEFACED THE DOCUMENT and they RIOTED because Americans Burned it. WAKE THE F @#$ UP America.
Do not blame this guy for making a bad movie. BLAME THE HUNDREDS that stormed are Embassy and KILLED in the name of Muhammad.
Alright, using your line of reasoning we can no longer blame the raging fire on the man who struck the match!! Idiot!!
He may have struck the match that lit the fire, BUT THE LYBIANS THREW gasoline on the fire and it grew to this. You do understand that they violated AMERICANS with their religious bigotry and hatred , don't you???
So where do you draw the line JeannieW - blame the video game makers for the violence they 'cause', musicians for the violence they 'cause'? Would you blame God for the suffering His altar boys have had to endure at the hands of His priests...I mean it's His word that these men not have sexual relations with women, so he had to cause for men who would be attracted to something other than women to lead his religion...you realize that only leaves men and children.
Extremist Muslims need to get over it. Religion that incites violence and murder is not true religion. These "offended" Muslims are not true Muslims. They are terrorists pretending to be religious. Therefore they need to be dealt with as terrorists. That essentially means joining Osama in the great beyond. The only language they understand is violence. Kill them all and be rid of them. They teach their children violence and retaliation for anything that "offends" them. This is just their excuse for murdering innocent people. We do not tolerate this in our country and we should not tolerate it in the international environment. Death to all terrorists, no matter what "religion" they claim. Christians don't go around murdering people who mock Jesus.
Remember the Crusades? And no mocking was involved there. All religions have their so-called zealots who murder in the name of their faith but are actually acting on other motives. The key is to respect all faiths regardless of what we think of that faith. This cowardly "filmmaker" was wrong, and he needs to be served up to the people he has offended. Four people are dead. I'd like to see him explain his need to "out" muslims to the families of those killed just so he could make a religious statement.
A mock trial for “promoting murder, rape, and destruction of people and property..." Sounds like christianity to me
Wake up America. People who want to rob, murder, rape and set fire to other people's belongings will do so under any pertext and for any reason their mind picks. At this point in the history of the world, Islam is violently dangerous, just the same as Christianity was violently dangerous at its point in time.
I don't understand trasformation. I am not patient with any wrong doing.
But, I do Know that all through history mass murderous bullies have found their cause under which and in which they can express their desire for blood. And in time, those that love and not hate do rise up with one magnificant bond and overturn/overcome the leaders of hate and all their followers. It isn't politics . . . it is human nature. It isn't religion . . . it is human nature. Its the bully gone global.
We as humans get off track and out of focus with the principles that bring about the greatest good for all. It isn't the lack of Christian following . . . it is the absence of love thy neighbor as thy self . . . a belief that is basic to what it takes to get along in this world. It is happening in the Islamic religion . . . hate . . . it will burn itself out but not without taking a terrible toll on the world.
It is the desire for revenge each human being feels when they have been wronged. We should have pity on not just the poor, but those that are mentall mangled for a "cause". Whether that be in the world of finance, or poliltics or religion . . . these mangled minds who can not right themself should be brought to justice. All of them.
Personally I believe that while we were watching (which takes a lot of tax dollars) the terriorist, the folks in the financial world had an open field in which to do their dirty deeds. In America, we need to wise up and accept the fact that it is going to take more and more and more tax dollars to keep us safe from all the predators.
Big or small, governments need money to operate. If you want protection, if you want freedom, if you want education, if you want national security it isn't free. It just doesn't cost in terms of the supreme sacrfice, it cost dollars . . . millions, billions and trillions.
In this economy, if we are to survive through this world crisis we are going to have to pay more than our fair share.
We need to shut up about how bad Mitt or Obama is and focus ONLY on who can deliver the most for our tax dollars.
Each American needs to get his or her head in the game . . . the real game of saving our way of life and putting in place the necessary protections against fraud, greed, bullies and injustices in high and low places. If that means we become the policeman of the world, then damnit, then that is what we have to do. Wake up!!! Wake up!!! The enemy is not at our doorstep . . . he is inside our borders. I
Obama is not the anti-christ. Mitt's crazy religion is not the problem. We are the problem. We fight each other over everything and no body is winning.
If a woman feels she needs an abortion, then all you Christians need to be praying for the bastard that raped or abandoned her. You can't decide who is sining . . . it is against your religion.
There are a million examples of how Christianity has hurt people more than it has helped.
And oh, by the way. If you Christians are so right in how you follow Jesus, why is the world not covered in love? It is because each of you spread more condemnation than you do Christ love.
Blame yourself, not the government for what happens tomorrow. The government won't be put on trial in the last day, you will.
You Christians who seek after your own prosperity, your own welfare and cheat on your taxes. It isn't the world that needs to get right with God . . . its the Christians. Then, this world really will be a better place.
I agree with a lot about what you say but, our problems are not as simple as turning off a leaking faucet because, most humans are so wrapped up into their emotions that any clear concise fact would only inflame their resolve to continue their exaggerated emotional indignation's. Emotions come from the primitive "lizard brain" that the animal species uses for fear reactions to real or imagined danger. The emotions are not well equipped to distinguish between anything that is real or imagined, it is all the same on that level, and i am afraid most of our problems are manufactured out of our imagination, fears, and prejudices. It seems that the golden age of enlightenment has receded back into the dark ages, and we are not the solution anymore but, are now the problem. Obama is the emotional centered reaction, and Romney is the intellectual centered reaction, and most people do not identify with the intellectual anymore, we want to feel good, without having to do what is intellectually good for America.
Netanyahu and Romney are buddies since Boston Consulting days in early 70s and Bibis only motto is to put Romney into White House, however costly it may be. No wonder, Bacile an American Jew is behind all this tragedy. It reminds me of Iranian Hostage Crisis during President Carters Time.
According to Iranian researcher Fara Mansoor: “The U.S.-Iran hostage crisis was not a spontaneous act by Iranian mobs or a senseless act devised solely by the Khomeini regime. Rather, it was a politically manufactured event by the Bush-led CIA and top Iranian Islamic fundamentalists that was intended to promote the political goals of the Bush-Reagan coalition and Khomeini’s regime simultaneously.” (quoted in Saman Mohammadi, January 16, 2012)
It seems that History repeats again.
Now THIS is the REAL Arab Spring ......Lybia, Egypt......How do you like it now?????
Wars have been started over less. How dare you trivialize this man's actions by equating them with the Arab Spring!
What is your problem??? I can't trivialize WHAT?? Yeh, BUT YOU CAN TRIVIALIZE THE LYBYIANS FOR THEIR ACTIONS???? Get a BRAIN!!! BTW, I DARE do whatever the hell I want.......What are you??...the trolling speech police???
THIS MAN IS A COWARD! How dare he commit an act that he KNOWS will endanger the lives of Americans around the globe and then go into hiding! The U.S. government should ferret him out and put him on the next plane to the Middle East...any country will do other than Israel. Let's see how brave he is when he has nowhere to hide and no military to hide behind. Freedom of speech is one thing, but we there is also such a thing as responsible speech.
WOW...Nothing like FREE SPEECH, is there Jeannie??? Congratulations on your new job.......CZAR of Speech, Thought and YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!
Freedom of speech does not equal freedom to kill !