Nakoula Basseley Nakoula

Innocence of Muslims Director: 'I Like Obama'

Anti-Muslim Film Director Freed From Prison, Speaks Out

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula chides president's administration

(Newser) - The man behind an infamous anti-Muslim film says he likes President Obama but thinks his administration has acted irresponsibly. In his first interview since being released from prison, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, director of The Innocence of Muslims, tells CNN he was shocked when the administration linked his movie to the... More »

Egypt Sentences 7 to Death for Anti-Islam Film

Film's creator among those sentenced

(Newser) - Seven Egyptian Christians have been sentenced to death for their role in The Innocence of Muslims, reports Reuters . The defendants, including the film's Egypt-American creator, Nakoula Bassely Nakoula, were sentenced in absentia for "insulting the Islamic religion through participating in producing and offering a movie that insults Islam... More »

Anti-Muslim Filmmaker: I Wanted to Burn Myself in Public

Zero remorse for Innocence of Muslims

(Newser) - The New York Times has scored the first prison interview with Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (aka Sam Bacile, aka Ebrahem Fawzy Youssef, aka Kritbag Difrat ), the man who wrote and produced The Innocence of Muslims. Sort of. Actually, the warden wouldn't allow an in-person interview, but via written correspondence... More »

Anti-Muslims Idolize Innocence Filmmaker

One calls Nakoula Basseley Nakoula 'a political prisoner'

(Newser) - To America's anti-Muslim bloggers, the director of Innocence of Muslims is more of a cult hero than a criminal, Wired reports. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula "is a political prisoner," writes one , who argues that recent Arab protests are designed "to intimidate the US into criminalizing criticism of... More »

Anti-Islam Filmmaker Uses Yet Another Name

Nakoula Bassely Nakoula says real first name is 'Mark'

(Newser) - One of the reasons the man behind the Innocence of Muslims movie is behind bars today is that he keeps using aliases, a violation of his probation from a 2010 arrest. It probably didn't help his cause, then, that when Nakoula Basseley Nakoula appeared in court yesterday, he changed... More »

Anti-Muslim Filmmaker Arrested in California

Anti-Muslim Filmmaker Arrested, Jailed in California

Nakoula Bassely Nakoula violated probation in 2010 fraud conviction

(Newser) - The filmmaker who made the notorious anti-Islam movie Innocence of Muslims is in hiding no more—he got arrested and jailed today in California, reports AP . Authorities picked up Nakoula Bassely Nakoula—aka Sam Bacile, only one of many pseudonyms—for violating the terms of his probation on 2010 bank... More »

Judge Refuses to Pull Islam Video Off YouTube

Actress Cindy Lee Garcia sued over 'Innocence of Muslims'

(Newser) - The actress who says she got tricked into appearing in the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims has lost her first bid to get a clip yanked off YouTube, reports the Los Angeles Times . A California judge refused Cindy Lee Garcia's emergency request to have the 14-minute trailer taken down,... More »

Actress in Islam Movie Sues Producer

Cindy Lee Garcia also wants YouTube to yank it

(Newser) - An actress in the anti-Islam movie causing friction around the world is suing the producer, reports TMZ . Cindy Lee Garcia says producer Nakoula Bassely Nakoula , aka Sam Bacile, told her the movie was going to be a harmless adventure flick called Desert Warrior, not the Innocence of Muslims. The lines... More »

Egypt Orders Arrest of Filmmaker, Terry Jones

It issues warrants for Nakoula Basseley Nakoula and others

(Newser) - Egypt wants Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, who is allegedly behind the anti-Muslim film that sparked protests across the Islamic world, behind bars—or worse. Cairo authorities ordered the arrest of Nakoula and six other Egyptian Coptic Christians living in the US, all of whom they say were involved with the Innocence ... More »

Iran: We Will Hunt Down Video Makers

Producer goes into hiding; actress posts 'scared' letter

(Newser) - As rage over an anti-Islamic video erupts into more violent protests— Afghanistan and Pakistan are among the latest—Iran is vowing to hunt down the makers of Innocence of Muslims, the Telegraph reports. "The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns ... this inappropriate and offensive action," said... More »

Feds Question Alleged Islam Movie-Maker

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is hauled in to sheriff's station

(Newser) - The man believed to have produced the now-infamous Innocence of Muslims film is getting more attention than he banked on—from federal probation authorities. Sheriff's deputies escorted Nakoula Basseley Nakoula from his Southern California home late last night so he could be questioned by the feds, reports the Los ... More »

Beware Lazy Stereotyping in Mideast Protests

Starting with 'those crazy Muslims': Robert Wright

(Newser) - When the first Mideast protests started this week, the storyline went something like this: "Crude anti-Islam film made by Israeli-American and funded by Jews leads to Muslim protests that boil over, causing four American deaths in Libya," writes Robert Wright at the Atlantic . Already, we've learned that... More »

AP: Nakoula Is Guy Behind Anti-Islam Film

There is no Sam Bacile; Hillary Clinton bashes 'disgusting' video

(Newser) - Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is indeed behind the anti-Muslim film that sparked violence in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, a US law enforcement official confirms. The AP initially went looking for "Sam Bacile," the supposed creator of the film, and linked that name to Nakoula ; Nakoula previously denied he was... More »

Cast, Crew of Anti-Islam Film: We Were Misled

References to Mohammed dubbed in after filming

(Newser) - The cast and crew of the anti-Islam movie that sparked violence in Egypt and Libya say they were "grossly misled" about the nature of the film and are horrified by its consequences, reports CNN . Cast members say they were recruited to star in a movie called Desert Warriors, described... More »