California Man Confirms Role in anti-Islam film

[11cents]

Source: Huffington Post

The search for those behind the provocative, anti-Muslim film that triggered mobs in Egypt and Libya led Wednesday to a California Coptic Christian convicted of financial crimes who acknowledged his role in managing and providing logistics for the production.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, told The Associated Press in an interview outside Los Angeles that he was manager for the company that produced "Innocence of Muslims," which mocked Muslims and the prophet Mohammed and was implicated in inflaming mobs that attacked U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya. He provided the first details about a shadowy production group behind the film.

Nakoula denied he directed the film and said he knew the self-described filmmaker, Sam Bacile. But the cellphone number that AP contacted Tuesday to reach the filmmaker who identified himself as Sam Bacile traced to the same address near Los Angeles where AP found Nakoula. Federal court papers said Nakoula's aliases included Nicola Bacily, Erwin Salameh and others.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120912/us-egypt-filmmaker/

[nolabear]

2. Basseley--Bacile? Salameh--Sam? *Ahem*

[alfredo]

9. Bacile could be the phonetic spelling of Basseley.

[goodhue]

10. Yes, indeed!

Good catch.

[goodhue]

3. Yeah. It's a bummer that American Egyptian Coptics made this film.

I don't think it does much to advance the concerns of the Coptics in Egypt. In fact, I'm worried about backlash against them.

[DonViejo]

11. I don't remember the post on here but,

I think it was the Atlantic's expose' posted this a.m., reporting the main players are "Evangelicals." There are apparently some higher level major players but, the Coptics are in the minority. I know that's not much relief; I share your concerns. This could turn on all Christians in the ME. Then too, I wonder, why is this the first man being offered to the public, why not one of the others? Martyrdom? Scapegoat?

[goodhue]

13. The story is shifting quickly

Although Evangelics were trumpeting the film, it appears to have been made by some Egyptian Coptics

[DonViejo]

15. Thanks

I better go catch up

[orpupilofnature57]

4. Scaming piece of Shit, Misanthropes need 5 names.

[msanthrope]

12. Hey. I only need one. nt

[orpupilofnature57]

17. Your cool, he's not

I love your posts and you sound like an intelligent, aware person msantrhrope:

[msanthrope]

20. Thank you! nt

[Firebrand Gary]

5. Someone please tell me that FBI and the CIA are investigating this?

Clearly there is a massive misinformation campaign. Considering the State Departments commentary stating that they believe this was a planned attack, one must ask the question if the film was created and distributed with the sole intent of inciting violence.

[Ford_Prefect]

6. Sam Bacile, Innocence of Muslims and Steven Klein

Over at Daily KOS: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/12/1130860/-Sam-Bacile-Innocence-of-Muslims-and-Steven-Klein

the telling remarks are at the end of the commentary:

"So maybe who is really behind the "Innocence of Muslims" aren't Jewish donors, an Israeli citizen, but really a militant, Christian militia group looking to stir up violence in pursuit of their stated goals. A holy war between Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Maybe in the interests of getting the story published first, the MSM and by that I mean the WSJ and AP got punked by these guys posing as "Sam Bacile."

There are more questions, more coincidences that make my bullshit meter go off as well. How did this low budget English speaking production get translated into Arabic?

How did protests for this film explode on 911? What incited it? WHO incited it?

Hopefully, some investigative journalists start looking into these questions more deeply."

[DonViejo]

14. Live Streaming

How did protests for this film explode on 911? What incited it? WHO incited it?

Yesterday, the minister in FL live-streamed his "Freedom from Mohammad Day" or some other equally offensive named festivities. It's reported in one of the articles here on DU

[MADem]

27. If you say Sam Bacile quickly, it sounds like IMBECILE.

And that's what these assholes are, I'd say...

[summerschild]

8. I trust the FBI and CIA are busy right

now investigating the film company and its funders and all those linked to this Coptic organization.

If they can find connections to terrorist groups outside the U.S. they can prove intent, treason, etc.
I think without fleshing out those links they may be faced with freedom of speech issues like with the crazy preacher that burned Korans.

[SoapBox]

16. Pick up all these clowns for questioning...

Including that asshole Jones in Florida.

[rachel1]

22. Making Islamophobic films does fall under hate speech, right?

If so, then charge him.

Insulting a religion should never be tolerated under the law.

[SnakeEyes]

23. Ummm..

hate speech is still protected free speech.

I don't know about you but I'd prefer not to allow the govt to decide what is and is not hate speech for the purposes of criminal charges. One day some right wing gov't could turn that on us.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. "insulting a religion should never...

be tolerated under the law". Oh, we need heresy and blasphemy laws now? Wow.

On edit: hell, let's bring back the Alien and Seditious Acts while we are at it.

[awoke_in_2003]

32. While I am at it...

Mohammed was a pedophile, Jesus hung out with a prostitute, and Abraham was just a boring old fuck. Guess I deserve some jail time.

[loli phabay]

36. yup that someone actually believes we shouldnt be able to insult a religion is scarey

I wonder what other stuff in our society we should change in order for the fundamentalists to give us their seal of approval.

[daleo]

42. Abraham's behavior towards Isaac would be considered child abuse in modern times

He would be institutionalized these days for his near murder of Isaac, either prison or an insane asylum. Many bible stories describe acts that would be criminal today.

[awoke_in_2003]

44. I was going to bring that up...

but, truthfully, I couldn't quite remember that it was Abraham that was going to kill his own son. Even when I was a believer, I had a problem with the concept of hell. We are supposedly god's children. Sometimes children screw up. But I could never imagine my father throwing me in a fire. Turn his back on me? Sure. But torture me for eternity? No way.

[Throd]

33. I'll insult religion as much as I want.

You have the right not to listen

[defacto7]

34. Bull Shit!

I will continue to call it what it is, and I will do it legally.

Discrimination... NO.

Criticism... YES

[trouble.smith]

35. WHAT!!!!????

seriously?

[Marrah_G]

39. Hate speech is not illegal

[snooper2]

40. Does that include calling the Easter Bunny a fat selfish bastard?

Little bastard eats more of the candy than he gives to the kids. He should be audited as well!

[Historic NY]

24. With all of Mitt's glee one would have to wonder where...

Bacile, aka Mark Basseley, and all those other akas got the cash it almost like someone knew this was going to happen.

[daleo]

43. I also wonder who bankrolled the movie

It may have been low budget, but it still costs a fair bit to film a movie.

[fingrinn]

25. So Google who owns you-tube

Is refusing to remove the offending video because it doesn't " break their terms"
I guess religious hatred is ok then as long as it makes them money.
As an Atheist all religious discrimination is despicable.
I have just deleted google as my search engine and also removed google chrome as my browser, and on the customer satisfaction form i made it very clear why.

[nanabugg]

26. The diversion and confusion begins. nt

[Tx4obama]

28. Another article

California Man Claims Involvement In Producing Innocence Of Muslims

A California man came forward today claiming to have been involved in management of the anti-Islamic video filmed by a man known only as Sam Bacile. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula told the Associated Press that he managed the company that produced Innocence of Muslims and that he was in contact with the filmmaker, who is now in hiding.

Nakoula gave the AP details about the film and why he was interested in working on such a project.

Nakoula told the AP that he was a Coptic Christian and said the film’s director supported the concerns of Christian Copts about their treatment by Muslims.

Nakoula denied he had posed as Bacile. 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.

The AP located Bacile after obtaining his cell phone number from Morris Sadek, a conservative Coptic Christian in the U.S. who had promoted the anti-Muslim film in recent days on his website. Egypt’s Christian Coptic population has long decried what they describe as a history of discrimination and occasional violence from the country’s Arab majority.

-snip-

http://www.mediaite.com/online/california-man-claims-involvement-in-producing-innocence-of-muslims/

[notadmblnd]

29. convicted of bank fraud in 2010

Nakoula, who talked guardedly about his role, pleaded no contest in 2010 to federal bank fraud charges in California and was ordered to pay more than $790,000 in restitution. He was also sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered not to use computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/12/nakoula-basseley-nakoula-anti-islam-film_n_1879195.html

he had a lot of identities and a lot of passports. He owed more than 3/4 million dollars. I wonder how he paid it back and I wonder who he was working for?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/105762124/USA-v-Nakoula-Basseley-Nakoula-Complaint

[fingrinn]

31. Looking for backers

to make a movie depicting the life of JC.
Main scenes include:
Walking on water.
Rising from the dead.
Immaculate conception.
Urging his followers to "eat his body and drink his blood"
Conjuring up food and wine and other "miracles"

Disclaimer:
In no way will this film depict JC as a satanist.

Hows the "freedom of speech" working now, right wingers?

[loli phabay]

37. go ahead and make your movie. doubt we will see riots and death

You may get your movie picketed or some nasty emails though.

[oberliner]

38. Interesingly they just call him a "California man"

Previously, when he was thought to be an "American-Israel Jew" - that information seemed important enough to include in headlines.

"American-Egyptian Copt" however doesn't seem to make the cut.

I wonder why that is.

[lisainmilo]

41. I wonder WHY he all of a sudden made this posted this film????

Why? why now???...is there money involved....something awaiting in the Caymens...??? IDK...just something to me is not right in the timing of all of this...
obviously he would commit crimes for money.... he is greedy...just thinking ..... just thinking.