Like the Danish cartoon violence, the same Islamophobic coteries, while distancing themselves from such a crass film and trailer, are quick enough to jump on the bandwagon against Islam, Pipes stating: “The anger is there. But it’s more than anger. It is a deliberate effort since 1989 to tell us in the west that we have to play by the rules of Sharia.” Pamella Geller writes:

It [the film] was not the cause of these riots and murders. The film was on YouTube for months before the Muslim rage over it began, and that rage was clearly carefully planned and orchestrated. The film is just a pretext to justify the violence and intimidate the West into adopting Sharia restrictions on the freedom of speech, so that jihad can advance unimpeded and unopposed in the West. And you, by focusing on the film and demonizing the filmmakers, are abetting that.[20]

Robert Spencer, casting Nakoula in martyr mode, however, writes that if Nakoula is sent back to jail it will be “not for the meth or the fraud or for the technicality of the probation violation, but for insulting Muhammad. His imprisonment will be a symbol of America’s capitulation to the Sharia.  If Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is imprisoned, he will be nothing more than the fall guy who became the first offender against the new federal crime of blasphemy against Islam.”[21]

Notes

[1] A Nagourney and S F Kovaleki, “Man of many names is tied to a video,” New York Times, September 13, 2012,  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/us/origins-of-provocative-video-are-shrouded.html?_r=1

[2] Ibid.

[3] M Basu, “New details emerge of anti-Islam film’s mystery producer,” CNN, September 14, 2012, http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/anti-islam-filmmaker/index.html

[4] H Ryan and J Garrison, “Christian charity, ex-con linked to film on Islam,” Los Angeles Times, September 13, 2012, http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-filmmaker-20120914,0,6397127.story

[5] M Blumenthal, Monodoweis, AP reported anti-Islam film that sparked protests was made to help Israel, but questions surround producer of the film

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/09/ap-says-anti-islam-movie-was-conceived-as-effort-to-help-israel.html

[6] H Ryan and J Garrison, op. cit.

[7] J Goldberg, op. cit.

[8] “Original Post,” Mondoweiss, op. cit.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Atlas Shrugs, http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/09/despite-ugly-revolt-at-dnc-democrat-party-of-jumah-and-right-of-retun-restores-references-to-god-jer.html

[11] Pamela Geller, “Biography,” http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/about.html

[13] “Anti-Islam film made by Media for Christ, directed by pornographer,” Times Live, September 15, 2012, http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/2012/09/15/anti-islam-film-made-by-media-for-christ-directed-by-pornographer

[14] H Ryan and J Garrison, op. cit.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] “Anti-Islam film made by Media for Christ, directed by pornographer,” op. cit.

[18] M Collier, “Promoters of ‘ Innocence of Muslim’ defend film shift focus on Islam, Christian Post, September 14, 2012, http://www.christianpost.com/news/promoters-of-innocence-of-muslim-defend-film-shift-focus-to-islam-81633/

[19] C Bollyn, “Understanding the Roots of the Anti-Muslim Cartoon Scandal,” American Free Press, Vol. 6, no. 8, 20 February 2006.  See: “War Without End,” http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/wake-up-america-your-government-is-hijacked-by-zionism/2006/02/07/anti-muslim-cartoons-tied-to-neo-con-fanatic.php

[20] Sheila Musaji, e “Innocence” of the Islamophobes and the Film No One Wants to Be Connected With,” The American Muslim, September 18, 2012, http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the-distancing-begins/0019363

[21] Ibid.