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Innocence of Muslims

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Innocence of Muslims
Directed byAllegedly "Sam Bacile" or "Alan Roberts"[1]
Written byUnknown
Screenplay byUnknown
Story byUnknown
Edited byUnknown
Production
company
Unknown
Distributed byYouTube
Release dates
  • June 23, 2012 (2012-06-23) (Vine Theater, Hollywood, USA)
CountryUnited States
Languageenglish
BudgetAllegedly $5,000,000

Innocence of Muslims, previously called Desert Warriors and Innocence of Bin Laden, is a 2012 anti-Muslim[2] film about Muhammad. The trailers for the film, after they were dubbed into Arabic, were cited during the attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions on September 11, 2012. One of these attacks was the storming of the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. The other attacks were in Benghazi, Libya and were primarily directed at the United States consulate, which suffered at least four deaths of U.S. diplomatic personnel, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.[3]

Production

The independent film was produced and directed by a person first identified in casting calls as "Alan Roberts",[1] and then in media reports "Sam Bacile", initially described as a 56-year-old (52 years old according to the Wall Street Journal[4]) real estate developer from Israel who spoke by phone with the Associated Press.[3][5] Israeli authorities found no evidence that he is an Israeli citizen,[6][7] and there is no evidence of a Sam Bacile around 50 years old living in California or having a real estate license[8][7] or participating in Hollywood filmmaking.[9] Though "Bacile" claimed the film had been made for $5 million from more than 100 Jewish donors,[10] Hollywood Reporter described the film's appearance as unprofessional, bringing this claim into doubt.[11] The film's self-identified consultant, Steve Klein, reportedly told Bacile: "You're going to be the next Theo van Gogh."[12] Klein later told journalist Jeffrey Goldberg that Bacile is not a real person and is not Israeli nor Jewish, as has been reported, and that the name is a pseudonym for about fifteen Copts and Evangelical Christians from Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt. Goldberg questions the reliability of Klein.[13] According to a man who identified himself to the Wall Street Journal as Bacile, the film was produced to call attention to what he called the "hypocrisies" of Islam.[14]

Personnel

On September 12, 2012, Time reported that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a Coptic Christian in Los Angeles, admitted being the manager for the film's production, but denied being Sam Bacile.[15] The Associated Press interviewed Nakoula at his home after finding evidence connecting Nakoula to Bacile, including sharing a phone number and Nakoula previously using aliases such as Nicola Bacily.[15] In 2010, Nakoula pled no contest to bank fraud, and was ordered to pay nearly $800,000 in restitution, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and is forbidden from using the Internet for five years.[15] Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was released from prison June 2011.[16] According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Leigh Williams, Nakoula opened bank accounts using stolen identities and Social Security numbers, and deposited checks from those accounts so Nakoula would withdraw money at ATM machines.[17]

The cast and crew have publicly stated that they were deceived about the purpose and content of the film. In a statement obtained by CNN, the film's 80 cast and crew members disavowed the film, they said: "The entire cast and crew are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer. We are 100% not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose." It further explained, "We are shocked by the drastic re-writes of the script and lies that were told to all involved. We are deeply saddened by the tragedies that have occurred."[18] Cindy Lee Garcia, who played the mother of Muhammad's bride-to-be, said the script for a movie called Desert Warriors, about life in Egypt 2,000 years ago, and that the character "Muhammad" was referred to as "Master George" on set. According to Garcia, "Bacile" claimed to be an Israeli real estate mogul. Later, however, he told her he was Egyptian, and she heard him speaking in Arabic with other men on set. Garcia was stunned to find out that the film was actually an anti-Muslim agitprop piece, and that "it makes me sick" that she was involved in a film that caused people to die. She is considering legal action against "Bacile."[1]

The overdubbing permitted the film's director to deceive the cast into taking part in the movie under the pretense that it was about the life of a generic Egyptian from 2,000 years ago. Sarah Abdurrahman, a producer for WNYC's On the Media program [19] stated that all of the religious references were overdubbed.[20]

Screening, promotion and reactions

File:Innocence of Muslims.png
A screenshot from the video, in which Muhammad is portrayed as speaking to a donkey which he calls "the first Muslim animal" before kissing the poorly-veiled woman pixelized at right, was broadcast on the Egyptian TV station Al-Nas.

On June 23 the movie was screened once under the name, "Innocence of Bin Laden," to an audience of under 10 at The Vine Theater, which rents space for private screenings, on Hollywood Boulevard.[12][21] According to one attendee, "The acting was of the worst caliber," and "had no inkling that that movie was anti-Islamic and did not recall the movie referencing the prophet Mohammad," but he did not see the whole film.[21]

The film has been promoted by pastor Terry Jones. Media reporting of Jones' burning of Qurans previously led to deadly riots around the world. Jones said on 11 September 2012 that he planned to show a 13-minute trailer that night at his church the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida. "It is an American production, not designed to attack Muslims but to show the destructive ideology of Islam," he said in a statement. "The movie further reveals in a satirical fashion the life of Muhammad."[3]

In July 2012, a 14-minute excerpt from the English-language film was posted on YouTube. By September the movie had been dubbed into Arabic and was brought to the attention of the Arabic-speaking world by Coptic blogger Morris Sadek whose Egyptian citizenship had been revoked for promoting calls for an attack on Egypt.[22][23] Muslim leaders criticized the film's depiction of Muhammad.[24] The Daily Telegraph reported that it portrayed Muhammad as an advocate of pedophilia and a homosexual, and also showed him having sex.[25]

According to a Cairo newspaper, the film was denounced by the leader of an Egyptian political party,[26] also the US Embassy in Cairo issued a statement condemning what it called "continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims," an apparent reference to the video.[27] During the same day a two-minute excerpt dubbed in Arabic was broadcast by Sheikh Khalad Abdalla[28] on Al-Nas, an Egyptian television station.[29] In the excerpt, the actor playing Muhammad called a donkey "the first Muslim animal".[30] Time attributed the scene, depicting Muhammad having a homoerotic, one-sided conversation with a donkey.[31]

U.S. Libyan diplomatic mission attacks

Main article: 2012 U.S. diplomatic missions attacks

The Arabic version of the film was cited as the alleged reason for several September 11 attacks on U.S. embassies in the Arab world, although reports have arisen that purport to indicate that the attacks were Al Quaeda planned and carried out under the cover of locally incited riots[32] . The embassies in Cairo and Benghazi were both attacked, with the Benghazi attack reported to have resulted in the death of ambassador Christopher Stevens [33] and three other American diplomats[34]. There is presently some confusion whether Stevens was killed in the Tuesday attack or in a separate rocket attack on his motorcade as it fled the city early Wednesday morning.[35]

Afghanistan decided to censor YouTube; president Hamid Karzai said the makers of the film committed a "devilish act".[36] Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi urged the United States government on Tuesday to prosecute the 'madmen' behind the video."[37] The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the film as "an insult to sacred Muslim figures" while criticizing the response of the United States government.[38]

Several news services have reported that Bacile has gone into hiding fearing that current actions could be used as an excuse to harm him,[3] and that he continues to defend the film.[12] Saying he was sorry for the death of Stevens, Bacile blamed the consulate's security system.[6]

The day following the attacks, YouTube announced that it had "temporarily restricted access" to the video in Egypt and Libya.[39]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Chen, Adrian. ‘It Makes Me Sick’: Actress in Muhammed Movie Says She Was Deceived, Had No Idea It Was About Islam. Gawker, 2012-09-12.
  2. ^ Sam Kiley (12 September 2012). "US Anti-Muslim Film 'Designed To Enrage'". Sky News. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "American Killed in Libya Attack". YNetNews.
  4. ^ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444017504577645681057498266.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet/
  5. ^ "Maker of anti-Islam film goes into hiding: report". Reuters. 12 September 2012.
  6. ^ a b Peralta, Eyder. "What We Know About Sam Bacile, The Man Behind The Muhammad Movie : The Two-Way". NPR. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  7. ^ a b Corky Siemaszko (Sep 12, 2012). "Filmmaker Sam Bacile behind anti-Mohammad propaganda 'Innocence of Muslims" is not Israeli". New York Daily News.
  8. ^ "Filmmaker Sam Bacile behind anti-Mohammad propaganda 'Innocence of Muslims' is not Israeli". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  9. ^ http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-bacile-identity-doubted-2012-9#ixzz26IU8DAIi
  10. ^ "Filmmaker Goes Into Hiding". New York Times. 12 September 2012.
  11. ^ Jordan Zakarin (2012-09-12). "American Ambassador to Libya Killed Over Anti-Islam Film". Hollywood Reporter.
  12. ^ a b c "Anti-Islam Filmmaker In Hiding After Attacks". NPR. Associated Press. 12 September 2012.
  13. ^ "Muhammad Film Consultant: 'Sam Bacile' is Not Israeli, and Not a Real Name - Jeffrey Goldberg". The Atlantic. 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  14. ^ "U.S. Missions Stormed in Libya, Egypt". Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ a b c "California Man Confirms Role in Anti-Islam Film". Time. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  16. ^ "Locate a Federal Inmate: Nakoula Basseley Nakoula". Federal Bureau of Prisons. 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  17. ^ "Nakoula Basseley Nakoula Claims Role In 'Innocence Of Muslims'". Associated Press. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  18. ^ http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/12/u-s-ambassador-to-libya-3-others-killed-in-rocket-attack-witness-says/
  19. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/innocence-muslims-film-sparked-deadly-u-embassy-attacks-142118931.html
  20. ^ On the Media Why Are All the Religious References in "Innocence of Muslims" Dubbed?
  21. ^ a b "Anti-Muslim film: 'Nobody showed up' for Hollywood screening". LA Times. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  22. ^ Sadik, Morris (September 5, 2012). "Global film on the Life of Muhammad Nbyalasalam and the Trial of Mohammed" (in Arabic). Coptic American National Assembly (blog). Retrieved September 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "US envoy dies in Benghazi consulate attack". Al Jazeera English. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Obscure Film Mocking Muslim Prophet Sparks Anti-U.S. Protests in Egypt and Libya". New York Times.
  25. ^ Richard Spencer and Barney Henderson (12 September 2012). "US ambassador to Libya 'killed in attack on Benghazi consulate". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  26. ^ Original news article (Arabic) cited by New York Times
  27. ^ "American killed in Libya attack; Israeli filmmaker in hiding".
  28. ^ Max Fisher (2012-09-11). "The Movie So Offensive That Egyptians Just Stormed the U.S. Embassy Over It".
  29. ^ Original broadcast (Elmo Khales TV on YouTube) cited by New York Times.
  30. ^ Robert Mackey and Liam Stack (2012-09-11). "Obscure Film Mocking Muslim Prophet Sparks Anti-U.S. Protests in Egypt and Libya".
  31. ^ James Poniewozik (2012-09-12). "The Anti-Muhammad Video: Ridiculous, and Now Deadly Serious". Time Entertainment.
  32. ^ September 12, 2012. "US suspects attack in Libya may have been planned:reports". ctvnews.ca. Retrieved 2012-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  33. ^ September 12, 2012 8:22PM. "US ambassador Chris Stevens killed in Benghazi by protesters angry at 'Innocence of Muslims'". News.com.au. Retrieved 2012-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57511043/assault-on-u.s-consulate-in-benghazi-leaves-4-dead-including-u.s-ambassador-j-christopher-stevens/
  35. ^ "US ambassador, consul among 4 killed in militia attack on Benghazi consulate". RT. 2012-09-12.
  36. ^ Arghandiwal, Miriam. "Afghanistan bans YouTube to censor anti-Muslim film". News.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  37. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D. (September 12, 2012). "U.S. Envoy to Libya Is Killed in Attack". New York Times.
  38. ^ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-12/iran-condemns-muhammad-film-says-u-s-must-prevent-hatred.html
  39. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/in-egypt-youtube-blocks-video-inciting-middle-east-violence/2012/09/12/fcc78e04-fd09-11e1-98c6-ec0a0a93f8eb_story.html
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