Questions Arise About Anti-Islam Filmmaker

[Jamie B]

http://news.yahoo.com/many-questions-arise-anti-islam-filmmaker-203741932.html

"Nobody is anything but by an active American citizen," Klein told the Atlantic. "They're from Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, there are some that are from Egypt. Some are Copts but the vast majority are evangelical."

In an interview Tuesday with the AP, Klein said the filmmaker is concerned for family members who live in Egypt. Bacile declined to confirm that suggestion. Klein did not return phone messages to the AP on Wednesday.

Klein told the AP that he promised to help Bacile make the movie but warned him that "you're going to be the next Theo van Gogh." Van Gogh was a Dutch filmmaker killed by a Muslim extremist in 2004 after making a film that was perceived as insulting to Islam.

"We went into this knowing this was probably going to happen," Klein said.

The last line of the quote is the corker for me.
What were these clowns thinking?
Knowing the ramifications of what they were doing, and then planning to hide behind US freedom of speech?
Am I missing something here?

[AZRedhawk44]

Knowing the ramifications of what they were doing, and then planning to hide behind US freedom of speech?
Am I missing something here?

I support it.

Not bear-baiting in general, but being able to make a film they feel strongly enough about to risk their own lives to say it.

Good on them.  Never seen the movie or trailer, don't know if it's tripe or valuable.  But if it's that important to them despite the risk, then they should do it.

[HankB]

The last line of the quote is the corker for me.
What were these clowns thinking?
Knowing the ramifications of what they were doing, and then planning to hide behind US freedom of speech?
Am I missing something here?

What you're missing is that these people are not going to self-censor their own actions in fear of what the screaming beards will do any more than Tom Paine would limit his essays in Common Sense out of fear of what the Crown's actions would be.

[Ron]

Jamie B has the right idea, cower in fear before the radicals and go out of your way to not insult them. Make sure you treat them with special consideration not afforded any other political/religious group.

If you are going to make fun of a religion pick on American Evangelicals or something.

[longeyes]

Well done or poorly done, the truth must out, especially when the "official" viewpoint--Islam is a "religion of peace" and to criticize it is bigoted--comes from fantasyland.  The West has been operating out of intimidation, or in secret complicity, for centuries.

[dm1333]

Jamie B has the right idea, cower in fear before the radicals and go out of your way to not insult them. Make sure you treat them with special consideration not afforded any other political/religious group.

If you are going to make fun of a religion pick on American Evangelicals or something.

Oh Snap!   

[ArfinGreebly]

Well done or poorly done, the truth must out, especially when the "official" viewpoint--Islam is a "religion of peace" and to criticize it is bigoted--comes from fantasyland.  The West has been operating out of intimidation, or in secret complicity, for centuries.

Peace?  Here's something "peaceful" . . .





Devil's in the definitions.  When "peace" really means "submission" you get the above "peaceful" scene.

[De Selby]

Cue random islam centered explanations - wouldn't be the war or US intervention in their politics that fuels this crap.  No, it's religious!

Belieiving that this is part of a thousand year struggle between religions and not the politics of today (ours and theirs) is beyond absurd.

[Jamie B]

Jamie B has the right idea, cower in fear before the radicals and go out of your way to not insult them. Make sure you treat them with special consideration not afforded any other political/religious group.

If you are going to make fun of a religion pick on American Evangelicals or something.

This is not what I said. Stop being a clown.

Nowhere did I suggest that we bow down to any other country or religion.

I do not appreciate your snide remarks.

[MicroBalrog]

They were not, at any stage, risking their own lives.

[SADShooter]

You said that people should restrain their behavior or speech to prevent it from inflaming other people who instinctively or freely respond to words with violence. Oddly, I place the fault with the people who can't grasp "sticks & stones" level civility.

[Scout26]

Oh, I'm pretty sure some (or probably several) Mullahs have issued fatwah's for the heads of the filmmakers.


Yes, DS, you are absolutely correct.  We never should have gone in and helped them develop their oil industry and then paid them for the privilege.  That's why gas is 25¢ a gallon, and a guy in white uniform scrapes the dead bugs off my windshield. 


Next time, we just go in a take it.  Scrooem.

[Ron]

The only comments I want our policritters to make in circumstances like this is unequivocal condemnation. The president getting on TV and making clear that our embassy security services have been ordered to shoot to kill in future breaches would help also.

Our government being mealy mouthed and apologetic about some obscure film plus insinuating that these thugs represent the majority of Muslims should be more insulting to Islam than the agitprop film.

I will not let them set the terms of debate or put limitations on liberty under the threat of them committing violence.  

Any group could find a film/movie/song/book etc out there to be outraged or offended at if they look hard enough.

That is never an excuse for murder and mob action. There are no extenuating circumstances.

Focusing on the accuracy or inaccuracy or the impact of a film is not the place to focus.

There is no excuse.

Don't want snide? Don't attempt the moral equivalence gambit and/or appear to be providing moral cover to the thugs.

The film producers didn't make the thugs act like thugs.

Thugs do what thugs do.  
 

[Scout26]

Damn, we should have told them back in season 1 that "Jersey Shore" shows pictures of Mohammed.....naked with Snooki.

 


And I wholeheartedly concur with Ron.

[AZRedhawk44]

Any group could find a film/movie/song/book etc out there to be outraged or offended at if they look hard enough.

That is never an excuse for murder and mob action. There are no extenuating circumstances.

I don't see Mormons trying to kill Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Or Catholics.

Or Gingers.

Or Goth Kids.

Or Politicians.





... although, they did the "Super Best Friends" episode with Mohamed in it and no one threatened asplodeys.  And they had Mohamed w/ Super Best Friends come back again briefly in a few other episodes, too.  No asplodeys.  Even had him in the title sequence for one season.  Never understood how they escaped all that, despite poking the bear deliberately.

[makattak]

Cue random islam centered explanations - wouldn't be the war or US intervention in their politics that fuels this crap.  No, it's religious!

Belieiving that this is part of a thousand year struggle between religions and not the politics of today (ours and theirs) is beyond absurd.

Exactly! That's why the Muslims in Europe have peacefully assimilated and now are just one more European... oh, wait, nevermind.

[De Selby]

Oh, I'm pretty sure some (or probably several) Mullahs have issued fatwah's for the heads of the filmmakers.


Yes, DS, you are absolutely correct.  We never should have gone in and helped them develop their oil industry and then paid them for the privilege.  That's why gas is 25¢ a gallon, and a guy in white uniform scrapes the dead bugs off my windshield. 


Next time, we just go in a take it.  Scrooem.

Well, I wasn't thinking of oil so much as shipping captives to Ghaddafi to be tortured - there are probably a few anti-Ghaddafi fighters who are still upset that the US helped Ghaddafi catch their comrades and then handed them over to be tortured and killed.

But hey, complicity in torture pales in comparison to religion!

[MicroBalrog]

Exactly! That's why the Muslims in Europe have peacefully assimilated and now are just one more European... oh, wait, nevermind.

Has an group of people ever assimilated this rapidly?

[Jamisjockey]

Cue random islam centered explanations - wouldn't be the war or US intervention in their politics that fuels this crap.  No, it's religious!

Belieiving that this is part of a thousand year struggle between religions and not the politics of today (ours and theirs) is beyond absurd.

Suddenly I feel a cool draft coming from Hades.




As to censoring the movie? No.
the real problem?  A dozen MSG could have easily prevented these attacks.  Of course, we'd be hearing about a hundred dead protesters.  And that would warm my heart.

[longeyes]

Add some grenades and, Mother of God, flame-throwers and you have an effective response (not to mention the film at 11 that the media pervs fancy).  I'm with you.

But the time for embassies and consulates in Indian territory may be over.

[Jamie B]

I am really smelling a rat with this whole video situation.
Seems that some of the actors involved claim that much of the dialog was dubbed in after production.
They might be in self CYA mode, but this whole thing smells very bad to me.
I am going to let the press and pressure vet this information.

[longeyes]

And now our government is outing the filmmaker? 

[Jamisjockey]

And now our government is outing the filmmaker?

Duh.  Everything is always someone else's fault.
Bad economy? Bush.
Riots and murder at the embassy? Filmmaker.

[brimic]

The last line of the quote is the corker for me.
What were these clowns thinking?
Knowing the ramifications of what they were doing, and then planning to hide behind US freedom of speech?
Am I missing something here?

Yes, you are missing one of those silly 'coexist' bumberstickers on your car.

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

What you're missing is that these people are not going to self-censor their own actions in fear of what the screaming beards will do any more than Tom Paine would limit his essays in Common Sense out of fear of what the Crown's actions would be.

Right on target. I support their actions and right to do so.