Anti-Islam Filmmaker Identified By Law Enforcement As Egyptian

Kopt Nakoula Basseley Nakoula

The U.S. law enforcement has identified Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, as the man behind "Innocence of Muslims," the anti-Islam movie that is widely blamed for riots around the world, the AP reports.

Nakoula (see the first photo) had previously claimed he had a role in the film's creation, but insisted he was not the director. Earlier reports centered around a certain Sam Bacile, but many doubts have been cast on Bacile's identity. Cell phones tied to Bacile and Nakoula traced to the same address.

News agencies reporting on him earlier that he only managed logistics for the company that produced "Innocence of Muslims," which mocked Muslims and the prophet Muhammad.
Nakoula ran afoul of the law in 2010, when he pleaded no contest to federal bank fraud charges after being indicted in a somewhat intricate scheme involving fake bank accounts created using stolen Social Security numbers. He was given a 21 month prison sentence and had to pay $790,000.

Actors in "Innocence of Muslims" say they were duped by the man claiming to be Bacile, and that the film as they knew it was not about Islam. One actress claims all the offensive references were dubbed over the lines the cast actually read. The movie was originally titled "Desert Warriors."

Nikolai, Egyptian Coptic Christian sometimes seen as part of Christian Orthodox Church, first claimed it is mysterious Israeli director Sam Bacile who made the film. Claim was rejected by Israeli officials who quickly issued statement that they don't have record of any Israeli with that name.

Now, the reports confirm that it is actually Nakoula Basseley Nakoula who is the author of the film.

A Christian activist involved in the film project, Steve Klein, (see the second photo) told the AP on Wednesday that Bacile was a pseudonym and that he was Christian.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, said Klein is a former Marine and longtime religious-right activist who has helped train paramilitary militias at a California church. It described Klein as founder of Courageous Christians United, which conducts protests outside abortion clinics, Mormon temples and mosques.

Klein said he vowed to help make the movie but warned the filmmaker 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.