The Film "Innocence of Muslims" and Sam Bacile

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Allan H. Clark on September 15, 2012 at 3:02pm

In this instance cultural and political viewpoints are the crux of the matter. Most of the protestors do not live in countries where freedom of speech is an accepted value enshrined in law, but where the government controls speech and publication. They find it impossible to believe this film could be produced and spread around without explicit approval of the United States government. One protestor who spoke English even demanded that the US government immediately execute those connected with the film. On the other side, it is difficult for us to imagine a mindset that could make such a demand.

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Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on September 19, 2012 at 3:17pm

I'm wondering how relevant it is that this film is said to be made by a Coptic Christian since the recent election of the Muslim Brotherhood In Egypt.

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Permalink Reply by jay H on September 18, 2012 at 6:26pm

Now Egypt has announced indictments of several people allegedly connected with the film, all of which are in the US and presumably are not realistically subject to arrest. Nonetheless, let's see if our national leadership develops a spine (probably not).

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Permalink Reply by MB on September 18, 2012 at 6:52pm

I have been watching these developments with a mix of disbelief and disgust.

I just want to scream "Grow the FUCK up" at both the people protesting and the douchebags behind the film in the first place.

It an impossible wish I know but i just want everyone in the world to grow up and respect the viewpoints of everyone else. I said respect, not condone or even understand.

Useless bullshitting from all sides does not achieve anything and it makes me so angry that a few arseholes are able to brew up so much trouble.

MB

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Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on September 18, 2012 at 9:34pm

I followed the link and saw trailer for Innocence of Muslims.
This film is a wind-up posing as comedy. Whatever a film of this type might have been about the hate in it is tangible. Even I who distain the how the mind of a Muslim fundamentalist works found it alarming. The scene where he pushes his face into her Pussy for example. The way it was done is cleary ridicule not humour. What makes something funny is to make us aware of irony on ingenious accepted reality. And to make us laugh not a joke that sinks like a stone in a comedy club. It is not even taking the piss. I call this sort of hah-hah bastard's humour.The lighting. sets and costume reminded me of a cheesy porn. film. I would have been delighted to have found it funny but this trailer makes me feel sad.
This is nothing but propoganda designed to get the out-rage it did for nefarious purposes. You are being manipulated if you think otherwise.

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Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on September 18, 2012 at 10:03pm

And one other thing-it was made by a Coptic Christian hiding out in America. If true it's irresponsible to towards the Coptic minority always only tolerated in Muslim Egypt. Whether the fundamentalists get wind of his religion or not it still comes down to mooning his ass at an old adversary in the smug assurance he is safe in Los Angeles. It is cowardice not freedom of speech.Anyway as I said this so called comedy was made with an agenda to have the effect it does.Trigger-happy they call it in The States.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on September 23, 2012 at 10:35pm

You are right.  It doesn't take courage to do something that hurts and kills other people, while you are safely in a free country, making a film under a pseudonym.  Stirring up a hornets nest, via long distance.

I don't condone the violence in any way, shape, or form.  But there is responsibility in free speech. What he did was irresponsible.

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Permalink Reply by Luara on September 24, 2012 at 6:32am

It isn't safe for him.  "Sam Bacile" had to go into hiding.  The Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris had to go into hiding after suggesting "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day".  The Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered after making the film Submission about Islam's treatment of women.  The Somali Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote the screenplay for this movie, she went into hiding after the movie was made and had Dutch security forces guarding her.

No, we have already lost some of our right to free speech on this topic.  I don't suppose we are going to be murdered by a radical Muslims for saying these things, but if anyone makes a significant amount of commotion about it, their life is in danger.  No matter where they live.  People like Sam Harris are risking their lives.  I don't know what kinds of security protection he has. 

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Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 18, 2012 at 10:37pm

Yeah I saw some of the film - it's all over the news and talk shows.

Protesting is still occurring.

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Permalink Reply by Gerald Payne on September 19, 2012 at 8:20am

I have seen the trailer and it is clearly designed to offend and inflame. You could argue that Islamic fundies should have more sense and nothing justifies the violence that followed, and I would agree with you. However we live in the real world and the maker of this movie knew how the islamic fundies would react, and how that reaction would be precieved in the Western World. It is a calculated effort to inflame hate between the islamic world and the western world and by most accounts it seems to have been successful.

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Permalink Reply by jay H on September 19, 2012 at 8:51am

Some posts here seem to be almost excusing this violent behavior. That's too much that problem with our politicians and pundits, talking about the antagonistic nature of the film, as if that explains things. It doesn't. Mohammed WAS a murderer, a child molester and a rapist. It's not the tone of the film that's the problem, it's the barbaric mindset of his followers that is the problem.

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Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on September 19, 2012 at 11:03am

True. Forget the fundamentalists it is the grass roots nature of Islam that is fanatic when it is illegal not to be a Muslim or practically so with the amount of ostracism that would occur switching religion or voicing Doubt in Allah. Naturally social exclusion has always occurred in other religions and kings and queens have made it illegal too.
So what if Mohammedan was a murderer so WAS the Inquisition condoned by popes.The Crusades the West's own version of of jihaadism and pedophia more rampant than thought of down to a market in child prostitutes of any age for Victorian gentlemen.
On a grass-roots level it is the black or white inclination of Islam said to have originated in the Arabs coming out of an unforgiving desert.Maybe I'm over-generalising here but the spring-board for fanaticism was always there outside of the Fundamentalists starting up as the front-line soldiers against the attempted colonisation by Russia or the West particularly the meddling of corporations as the true incentive for gaining footholds in the Middle East..
The worrying " barbarism" is Islam has dug in even more -Allah as thee only one true God and not only as a way to culturally uniify against Western meddling as with Iran originating in the puppet Shah. It's behind the stance of a modern global world.

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