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           Authorities Interview Man Allegedly Behind Anti-Islam Film

   by VOA News

   The man allegedly behind the private film sparking demonstrations in
   the Muslim world was escorted from his California home early Saturday
   by deputies in Los Angeles on the U.S. west coast.
   Police say Nakoula Basseley Nakoula left his home voluntarily to be
   interviewed by federal authorities.
   Reuters news agency reports that Nakoula, who has been convicted of
   bank fraud, is being questioned for possible probation violations
   stemming from making the controversial film.
   On Friday, Nakoula criticized protesters. In an interview with
   U.S.-government-funded Radio Sawa, the alleged director of the film
   said his fellow Arabs "have to learn to demonstrate peacefully."  He
   said any allegation the United States government was involved in the
   making of the movie is "ridiculous" and that "America has nothing to do
   with the film."
   Radio Sawa says the man refused to confirm his identity, but that a
   source who provided the contact information identified him as Nakoula
   Basseley Nakoula.
   Several news organizations have linked the inflammatory film, titled
   The Innocence of Muslims, to Nakoula, a 55-year-old Egyptian Coptic
   Christian who lives in California and recently served a prison sentence
   for bank fraud.
   Initially, the film was said to have been produced by a man named Sam
   Bacile, who told news media he is Israeli-American.  A consultant on
   the film confirmed the name "Sam Bacile" was a pseudonym.  There is no
   record of the film or its producer in Hollywood reference sources.
   The man believed to be Nakoula tells Radio Sawa he did not expect the
   film would cause such strong reactions from the Arab and Muslim world,
   saying the film's other producers "put my mind at ease."  But he also
   says all the film's advisers were "foreigners who do not know anything
   about Arabs and have never visited Arab countries."
   During a protest over the film outside the U.S. consulate in Benghazi,
   Libya, Tuesday, armed militants killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya
   Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. staff members.
   Nakoula says he is saddened by the deaths but that he does not regret
   making the film.  He also rejected allegations made by some of the
   actors and crew members that they were tricked into making the movie.
   When asked if he misled the actors and crew, he said "This is a
   producer's right. He can put what he wants in the film without
   consulting the actors... my answer to them is that they do not belong
   to a professional association."
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/autorities-interview-man-allegedly-be
   hind-anti-islam-film/1508539.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/autorities-interview-man-allegedly-behind-anti-islam-film/1508539.html