The increased violence and protesting in the Middle East is being blamed, in part, on an anti-Islamic film trailer made in California. A Bakersfield actress who had a small role in “Innocence of Muslims” is speaking out now. Cindy Lee Garcia says the film-maker lied about what type of movie he was making. She was apparently told the film would be about life 2,000 years ago, not an attack on Muslims.
“When I first saw the trailer I was confused and I thought, ‘What did he do to this movie?’” said Garcia.
A man named Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, or Sam Bacile, is reportedly a Coptic Christian. The Coptics are the largest Christian church in Egypt. He tells the AP he's the film’s director. A film consultant, Steve Klein, has spoken twice at church of Kaweah in Three Rivers. The sometimes controversial Southern Poverty Law Center, which claims to expose hate groups across the U.S., says Klein is an extremist.
“Steve Klein is on record making really ugly statements about Muslims, calling them things like a cancer,” said Heidi Beirich, of Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Alabama.
The unrest on U.S. soil overseas has a lot of people on edge. But Fresno State political science professor Tom Holyoke doesn't expect it to turn into war.
“The governments of both of these countries really do not want this to escalate out of control. They're both very fragile governments,” said Holyoke.
Meanwhile, a heartbroken actress at the center of the turmoil apologizes for her role.
“My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. And I would just pray that the violence stops,” said Garcia.
The film has been taken off the internet in Egypt, but most other countries can still access the video.
