The Film at the Center of the Middle East Protests Was Produced by American Christians

I just watched the 14 min trailer for the film at the center of the violent protests which claimed the life of Ambassador Stevens. I’m not a film critic, but I think it’s safe to say that this is terrible stuff. It reminds me of the Monty Python Life of Brian stuff in that it’s low budget with elements like obvious fake beards & low-tech effects – but it’s not meant to be funny. What’s even more disturbing is that it seems as though the origins of the film have their roots in American Christianity. The NYTimes is reporting on the origins of the film:

“The film that set off violence across North Africa was made in obscurity somewhere in the sprawl of Southern California, and promoted by a network of right-wing Christians with a history of animosity directed toward Muslims. When a 14-minute trailer of it — all that may actually exist — was posted on YouTube in June, it was barely noticed.

But when the video, with its almost comically amateurish production values, was translated into Arabic and reposted twice on YouTube in the days before Sept. 11, and promoted by leaders of the Coptic diaspora in the United States, it drew nearly one million views and set off bloody demonstrations.

The history of the film — who financed it; how it was made; and perhaps most important, how it was translated into Arabic and posted on YouTube to Muslim viewers — was shrouded Wednesday in tales of a secret Hollywood screening; a director who may or may not exist, and used a false name if he did; and actors who appeared, thanks to computer technology, to be traipsing through Middle Eastern cities. One of its main producers, Steve Klein, a Vietnam veteran whose son was severely wounded in Iraq, is notorious across California for his involvement with anti-Muslim actions, from the courts to schoolyards to a weekly show broadcast on Christian radio in the Middle East.”

What do you think of this?

It seems to me that of all of the things that Christians could be spending our time, resources, and creativity on – this is a huge waste. Here’s the trailer, you can see for yourself.