Right wing Christian behind anti-Islam film

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Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 13, 2012 at 12:18

I didn't know that there was a religious zealot behind the film - good to know.

Permalink Reply by Sayed Iman Rafizadeh on September 14, 2012 at 11:30

It could be kind of 21st century crusades! Still fundamentalists are fighting over their religious dogmas.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on September 15, 2012 at 19:03

Yes, Sayed, we see fundamentalists fighting over their dogmas. What an example of religion as a destabilizing force, each of them claiming to be all about peace of course.

By the end of the day on September 12, the AP discovered that the person behind the film was an Egyptian Coptic Christian by the name of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.

... it became clear that the origins of the film lie in an alliance between members of the Egyptian Coptic Christian community, right-wing Christians and the well-funded network of Islamophobes in the U.S.

... a small number of Coptic Christians, by no means representative of the full Coptic community, have made alliances with right-wing evangelical Christians and virulent Islamophobes in the U.S. This alliance is behind the film...

A California-based newspaper reported September 12 that an organization called Media for Christ produced the Innocence of Muslims film. The head of that organization is Joseph Nasralla Abdelmasih, an anti-Muslim Coptic Christian from Egypt. Abdelmasih is an ally of Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, two leading Islamophobes in the U.S....

Morris Sadek is another U.S.-based Coptic Christian activist who helped promote Media for Christ's film.

Yet another Christian right activist involved with the film is Steve Klein. Klein is a right-wing extremist allied with Sadek's National American Coptic Assembly.

The alliance of Egyptian Christians, right-wing American Christians and anti-Muslim activists have now sowed the seeds of more chaos in the Middle East. This is exactly what they wanted. “We went into this knowing this was probably going to happen,” Klein told the Associated Press.

They hope that by destabilizing Egypt, Muslims will come off as crazy, violent people, and that U.S. relations with a government seen as hostile to Israel will be strained. Their mirror image—radical, right-wing Islamists in the Middle East--continues to stoke anti-American rage across the Middle East...

And so both sides get what they want: a “clash of civilizations”-esque confrontation between the radicals on both sides of the “East-West” divide. [emphasis mine]

Inside the Islamophobic-Religious Right Alliance Whose Film Sparked...

Permalink Reply by Pat on September 14, 2012 at 12:02

I realize those behind the film were what I described in a another post as "trailer trash." However, to refer to my previous question, and in terms of intentional poking the Islamic faith in eye with a sharp stick, how is this piece of crap video any different than "Let's All Draw Mohammed" day that was popularized a year or so ago or, for that matter, Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders's film Fitna, which portrays Islam as a bloodthirsty, psychopathic cult?

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 14, 2012 at 12:30

Honestly, I'm not surprised.

Go insult something islamic and watch the fur fly, the fatwas get issued, the religiously righteous shout and beat their chests ... and watch people die.  It already has been alleged that the violence surrounding the film Innocence of Muslims may have been used as a cover for those who attacked the US embassy in Libya and killed Ambassador Chris Stevens.  Rather an interesting fillip, considering that said film was made by an American.

So when will the flip-side occur?  When will some islamic filmmaker attempt to create something so obscene and over-the-top that it inspires hard-core christians to take action against muslims and further justify their jihad against the people of "The Great Satan"?!?

To Both Sides: don't look now, but You're Being PLAYED!!!  Maybe you haven't noticed, but there are those out there who want you showing the absolute worst of your religion, so that they can justify their own agendas.  Do you like this?  Do you like being used as pawns in a game you're not even aware of?  Do you even CARE???

Hell, are you even listening?  Honestly, I'm dubious.

Permalink Reply by Sayed Iman Rafizadeh on September 17, 2012 at 7:15

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on October 2, 2012 at 23:18

Great summary of religion, Sayed!

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on October 2, 2012 at 23:45

From Atheist Meme Base:

 

The various holy scriptures tend to include both statements like "1+1=2!" and ones like "2+2=3!" Perhaps we should also add "3+3=3!" (true with the factorial).

It's analogous to the list of "commandments" from "Kissing Hank's Ass", which includes

2. Use alcohol in moderation.
...
6. The moon is made of green cheese.
7. Everything Hank says is right.
8. Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.
9. Don't use alcohol.
10. Eat your wieners on buns, no condiments.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on October 3, 2012 at 19:00

Sometimes there's an official religion.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on November 8, 2012 at 18:40

Mark Basseley Youssef, the filmmaker who wrote and produced the anti-Islam movie Innocence of Muslims that has been tied to the U.S. missionary attacks in Benghazi, was sentenced to one year in federal prison yesterday for violating several of his probation orders. Back in June 2011, Nakoula was released on probation after serving a 21-month sentence in federal prison on charges of bank fraud and he began working on the film, but in the recent wake of its controversy, Nakoula was arrested again in September on charges of using false names, using the Internet without prior approval and obtaining a fraudulent driver's license, all of which were in direct violation of his probation conditions.

from Cheezburger

Permalink Reply by Sayed Iman Rafizadeh on November 9, 2012 at 8:53

One year in prison! It could be due to the pressure of Muslims' undemocratic protests.