WASHINGTON - An Israeli filmmaker whose anti-Islam movie led to the death of four Americans by a Libyan mob went into hiding Tuesday - but he continued to attack the religion of 1.2 billion people.
“Islam is a cancer,” an unrepentant Sam Bacile, the offensive filmmaker, told American news media. Bacile, 56, who is based in Los Angeles, defended his blasphemous film.
“The US lost a lot of money and a lot of people in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we’re fighting with ideas,” said Bacile.
Bacile said he was outraged by the deaths of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three others, but insisted he had no blood on his hands.
“I feel the security system (at the embassies) is no good,” said Bacile. “America should do something to change it.”
Bacile, a mystery man who identifies himself as an Israeli Jew and says he’s a real estate developer in California, wrote and directed the $5 million movie, which he said was financed with the help of more than 100 Jewish donors. He did not identify any of them.
Steve Klein, a consultant on the film, said they fully expected the movie would make Muslims mad. “We went into this knowing this was probably going to happen,” he said.
Klein said he also warned Bacile that he could be “the next Theo van Gogh,” referring to the Dutch filmmaker who was killed by a Muslim in 2004 after making an anti-Islam film.
He said Bacile now fears for the safety of his family in Egypt, where the US embassy in Cairo was also attacked by mobs incensed by the movie. Bacile’s movie was made in the summer of 2011. He said it was shown in its entirety just once earlier this year at a Hollywood theatre.
A 13-minute trailer was posted on YouTube in July. It was promoted by holy Quran burning Florida preacher Terry Jones.