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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPamela Geller's Blog Solicited Funds For anti-Muhammad Film
Yesterday, while compiling evidence for a report demonstrating conclusively that the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Media For Christ was the most significant force behind the production of the anti-Islamic trailer video "Innocence of the Muslims" which, after being posted on Youtube, has helped incite riots throughout the Islamic world, I came upon the following February 12, 2012 post, on the website of Atlas Shrugs -- the blog of Pamela Geller, the anti-Islamic activist who cofounded the group Stop Islamization of Nations and helped incite and organize the nationally-notorious June 6, 2010 protest against the building of a mosque in lower Manhattan (one of the speakers at the protest was Joseph Nassralla Abdelmasih, head of Media For Christ.)
Titled "A Movie about Muhammad: An Idea whose Time Has Come", the Geller post contained a solicitation for funding for a movie about Muhammad.
Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs post introduced the financial solicitation with, "Ali Sina, renowned ex-Muslim author, founder of FaithFreedom.org and SION Board member, has a brilliant idea, a plan, to educate and liberate those enslaved by the most radical and extreme ideology on the face of the earth, but he needs our help" [see footnote for background on Ali Sina, including his comparisons of Barack Obama to Hitler]. Then followed Ali Sina's solicitation:
"A Movie about Muhammad: An Idea whose Time Has Come.
...We need to get our message to the masses.
Masses watch movies. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is the worth of a motion picture? We need to make a motion picture about Muhammad - a biopic that reveals the details of his life...
[...]
The movie shows Muhammad's raids, plunders, massacres, rapes, assassinations and other crimes. A small subtitle in the lower right corner of each scene will give reference to the source of the story... Truth about Muhammad is more shocking than fiction.
The world does not know Islam. What is known is a watered down and euphemized version of it that has no bases in reality. The truth is that Muhammad was a cult leader, much like Jim Jones, Shoko Asahara and Charles Manson...
The other good news is that I have been promised a substantial angel financing. I have been daydreaming about this movie for ten years. It was this promise that prompted me into action. I put everything aside for five months, read everything I could about my protagonist, selected the most salient episodes and wrote the script.
[...]
I am not thinking of a high budget movie, but given the subject matter, it can become one of the most seen motion pictures ever. (Recall Danish cartoons?)...
I don't think this movie will require much investment on promotion...
Just as the Internet allowed us to spread our message to millions of people, with this movie we can spread the same message to hundreds of millions. When the world discovers the truth about Muhammad, Islam's days will be numbered...
[...]
...given the controversy and the buzz that such a movie will necessarily generate, and the fact that it is an untold and fascinating story about the most influential man in history, I can foresee a huge return on the investment. When I know about the budget and the legalities are in place, I will give a chance to those who might be interested to invest in this project. In you have questions you can email me to [email protected]. In the subject box write Movie Investment."
Much more at link: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/16/1132429/--Pamela-Geller-s-Blog-Solicited-Funds-For-anti-Muhammad-Movie
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Bonus:
bluestateguy
(44,173 posts)Judaism teaches respect for people of other faiths.
Such behavior as hers is more typical of Southern Baptist evangelicals.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)The Xtian literalists believe we are in the end Times. Out of the those times comes the big offer; "convert or die." Nice allies ya got there, Geller.
M_M
(163 posts)I mean seriously: A jew promoting religious hatred? What could possibly go wrong?
Indpndnt
(2,391 posts)DonViejo
(60,536 posts)The revelations just keep coming. Those revelations are just the tip of the iceberg however, IMHO. A common thread runs through the film, orthodox religious beliefs. The battle of the literalists, the extremists; here, there, everywhere.
northoftheborder
(7,572 posts)SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Right Wing Think Tanks. What people wanted to know after they found out the names of those Think Tanks, was WHO is funding THEM?
She became quiet for a while after the Norwegian Mass Killer was found to have been a fan of hers.
This group really needs to be thoroughly outed. I remember Rachel I believe digging into their funding and finding that they had raised over $46 million to promote their bigotry. That's pretty serious money and definitely warrants a look at who is so interested in keep the Muslim Bigotry alive, because Geller is simply a lower echelon player imo.
Cha
(297,136 posts)who aren't Haters.
flamingdem
(39,313 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)Mitt, any comment?
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Where are all the "Spaghetti Monster" posts? I don't think Muslims would exactly care for THEM.
JoeyT
(6,785 posts)That one drew some pretty impressive protests.
There was also a petition to stop a movie about a gay jesus floating around that got an absurd amount of signatures back in the mid-80s. So not only were they angry about a movie, they were angry about a movie that didn't exist and wasn't even going to be made. And they've been pissed off about a non-existent movie for 25 years, since the petition still makes the inbox rounds again from time to time. http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/gayjesus.asp
Too long ago? They're up in arms right now over a film called "Jesus of Nazereth" by Paul Verhoeven.
http://www.ynaija.com/ticker-christians-protest-new-film-claiming-that-jesus-was-a-product-of-rape/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/new-film-jesus-wasnt-divine-he-was-born-after-his-mother-was-raped-by-a-roman-soldier/
If those aren't violent enough for you, I can link you to about a dozen death threat campaigns in the last two or three years alone.
If you missed them, you weren't looking.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)They didn't want a Jesus who empathized with everyday people, who lived like one of them, who preached a gospel of Love to the bitter end. No, they wanted the bitter end. They wanted a Jesus who is bleeding and groaning in agony.
Sick.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)I imagine Schindler's List was the better for it, too. Though I suppose there may be a handful who wanted it sanitized too... no bleeding or groaning in agony.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,173 posts)In full disclosure, I'm Christian, specifically a Catholic, and a practicing one at that. (Not a huge fan of the heirachy, but I like the underlying message behind the faith)
And I'll admit that before I saw TLTOC, all I knew about it was from the rumors....that it supposedly depicted Jesus shacking up with Mary Magdalane.
But I wanted to see for myself what the big deal was about, so I checked out a copy.
And I saw nothing in the film that ran against any of my personal beliefs.
(Spoilers ahead)
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It was an artistic depiction. More than anything, I found it was mechanism for thought provocation. Whereas too many movies about Jesus simply portray him as some sort of platitude spouting automaton who had a super-casual means to speak with God as if it were as simple as giving Him a phone call, TLTOC portrayed Jesus as a human being (which, if you are a Christian, you believe he was). That means with a full range of emotions and an uncertainity about a sometimes unclear mission, to the point where Jesus himself is wondering if he's just insane. And that's a very human reaction in my opinion.
And I also loved the take on Jesus and Judas. Frankly, the narrative that I've heard from most is the whole "Judas as a villian" notion. And I never bought it, not even as a kid. If you are to believe that it was pre-destined that Jesus was to be handed over and crucified, and Judas was the one to set things into motion, how exactly was he the villian? From what I remember of the film, Jesus tells Judas that he must be the one to hand him over....and to me, it makes much more sense that way.
Finally, the "Jesus shacks up with Mary Magdalene" thing was the biggest thing over nothing. As the title suggests, the movie is about "the last temptation" and they show Jesus, suffering on the cross having a vision of the "devil" (in the form of a young girl) "tempting" Jesus with what his life would be like had he given up on his mission and lived a simple, human life. This includes marrying Mary Magdalene and having a family with her. However, Jesus resists this "temptation", accepts his mission and it goes back to Jesus on the cross with him uttering the famous phrase "It is accomplished" and then dying. Cue an serendipitous white flash (caused by a film malfunction) and the excellent Peter Gabriel soundtrack. Just really an exceptional ending.
After seeing it for myself, how people thought this was somehow blasthemous, I have no idea. I found it more faith affirming than anything.
BarackTheVote
(938 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)"I found it more faith affirming than anything. "
I did too. But then I also though that about Passion of the Christ, also.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)Monty Python's Life of Brian.
Maybe you are too young...
Junkdrawer
(27,993 posts)Life changing event.
malaise
(268,913 posts)I'm betting it was all planned.
They don't give a flying fuck who dies as long as they make money and ReTHUGs win power..
The good news is that Rmoney isn't winning shit.
Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)mia
(8,360 posts)nolabear
(41,959 posts)I DO hope someone has the guts to call this out.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)The problem is not Muslims, militant or whatever....
The problem (as usual) is RELIGION.
calimary
(81,209 posts)in which there was a question or two from the fans about how Obama MUST be impeached? The woman who asked that particular question was a fancy-looking female, but you saw her from the side over at camera left in front of the stage, with somebody else standing partially in the way. And she was reaching out and gesturing assertively to punctuate her question about impeaching Obama. This woman looked a lot like the one photographed here. D'you suppose they're the same person?
It certainly wouldn't be the first time the republi-CONS manufactured outrage in presidential campaigns. Remember the "Brooks Brothers riot" in Florida during Selection 2000 - that intimidated the vote counters in an office behind locked glass doors, with this mob of people pounding the doors and shaking their fists and shouting to stop the vote count? Turns out every last one of 'em was either a GOP operative or a staffer from some republi-CON senator's or congresscritter's office. Totally manufactured. But it sure got a lot of coverage and fooled a HELLUVA lot of people.
SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)Is this the one that you are talking about?
Romney Silent As Woman Says Obama Should Be Tried For Treason
I can't see the woman, there is a man in front of her. I tried to listen to a known sample of Pamela Geller talking on video and that one of the unknown woman, and I'm not sure if it's her.
The right is known for interfering with elections in any way they can.
calimary
(81,209 posts)It's hard to tell, and she's almost completely hidden by the guy in front of her.
Just a wild guess, really. But these bastards do indeed play dirty. They plant people. Or their people plant themselves. They've done a lot to manufacture, manipulate, and manage public opinion. Perception management. Have your operatives and College republi-CON types call into the radio station - give 'em the inside number to make sure they get through - and reinforce the talking points. Plant multiple versions of the same basic letter to the editor in scores of small town newspapers where the odds are better they'll get printed. That one's called "astroturfing." Or how 'bout this - assign or hand-pick a bunch of average-citizen types (who are really GOP Senate and Congressional staffers) to pound on the glass walls and doors of the Florida office where people are trying to count the votes - and that will be read as - "See? Look at all those Average Joes and Janes trying desperately to make their voices heard! 'The People' really and truly DO NOT want the vote counting to continue!"
There are wicked little tricks GALORE, and these guys are very good at using them to manage perception and manipulate public opinion. At all times, we have to be aware of it, and ready to counter it.
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)starroute
(12,977 posts)When the brother of Kamal Rizk -- the vice president of Media for Christ -- died last year, Kamal described him as "a devout Christian who attended a Jews for Jesus worship service on weekdays and a regular church service on Sundays." (Rizk and his brother were from a Coptic family that converted to become Southern Baptists.)
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/12/08/1697038/area-man-dies-in-cayman-islands.html
And Gary Cass, the founder of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission who is turning out to have been another party to the production of the film, has openly attacked Israel for restricting Christian proselytization. Here's a 2008 press release from his CADC:
http://newsblaze.com/story/20080606115711tsop.nb/topstory.html
Even though Israel signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that says in Article 18, "Everyone has the right to...change his religion...and freedom...to manifest his religion or beliefs in teaching, practice, worship and observance," persecution of Christians and Jewish converts to Christianity, continues in Israel.
John McCain and Barack Obama just met with American Israel Public Affairs Committee in an attempt to garner Jewish support by asserting their support of Israel.
"Will McCain and Obama turn a blind eye to the suffering of Christians in Israel?" asked Rev. Gary Cass, of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission," adding, "Both Obama and McCain say they want change, but do either of them have the courage to challenge the powerful Jewish lobby in America? Will either of them demand true religious liberty for Christians and all faiths in Israel as a condition of American support of Israel, including the right of Christians to share their faith with Jews?"
According to the Jewish Telegraph Agency, "Israel has an estimated 8,000 so-called messianic Jews. In effect they are crypto-Christians, practicing their faith discreetly for fear of stoking hostility among mainstream Jews. Reprisals can sometimes be violent."
Gellers and her pals are pretty loathsome. But the company they're keeping is even creepier.
WorseBeforeBetter
(11,441 posts)I found that N&O article the other day, but missed the Southern Baptist part. Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church on Six Forks, which looks as if it's affiliated with Trinity Baptist Church. Crap, I should have popped in this morning for Sunday service, but I doubt I would have been able to stomach it.
safeinOhio
(32,671 posts)Me thinks she may have pissed off some crazies.
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)and how her kind loves to rub their actions into decent people's faces. Whackos...
eridani
(51,907 posts)Given the $46 million, I would have expected higher production values. Still, the linkages are highly suggestive and ought to be investigated.
SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)between all the players is highly suggestive to say the least. This was an interesting read, and goes into greater detail than the DKos article. It's a long read but very interesting.
Because I have spent so many years countering Islamophobes, there are a lot of bits and pieces of information that sometimes take a little while to connect. I knew that in one of the profiles I had done for the Whos Who in the Islamophobia/Arabophobia Industry, one of those individuals had mentioned planning a film about Prophet Muhammad. It took me awhile, and then I remembered that the individual was Ali Sina who runs Faith Freedom Intl, and is a board member of the hate group SIOA which was founded by Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer.
In January of 2012 the formation of a new coalition was announced Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) and Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) joined together in a coalition called Stop Islamization of Nations (SION), and Ali Sina is named as one of the board members.
In February of 2012 Ali Sina had posted an article A Movie about Muhammad: an idea whose time has come. He also posted an article including an interview with himself done by the Citizen Times: Interview with Ali Sina about his planned Muhamma biopic.
If you click on the links for either of those articles now, there is nothing there. They have been scrubbed.
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a-curious-connection/0019357
oberliner
(58,724 posts)There is no evidence linking that post to this film.
And there is also no evidence that she herself raised money for any film.
Yet people seem to be sort of half-reading this information and running with that interpretation.
trailmonkee
(2,681 posts)...missed something... But if thats the case, she was promoting the idea
oberliner
(58,724 posts)"28. For AN anti-Islamic film. Is there credible info that it was THIS anti-Islamic film?"
Maybe not a huge distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.
Granted this movie is right up her alley - and she has promoted anti-Islamic sentiments for some time.
I don't think, however, it's been established that she has funded this particular movie, which is what some appear to be suggesting.
MariaM83
(233 posts)I'm just saying, if they had nothing to do with this particular movie, then it shouldn't be claimed that they did.
Junkdrawer
(27,993 posts)....
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/02/a-movie-about-muhammad-an-idea-whose-time-has-come.html
....
FaithFreedom.org has been down for the past few days....
oberliner
(58,724 posts)But is there a link to the movie in question?
Maybe it will turn out that there is, but I do not believe that any has been established at this point.
Junkdrawer
(27,993 posts)Very first comment:
Remarkably similar to the trashy preview of IM, eh?
oberliner
(58,724 posts)But it is certainly possible (and indeed likely) that various different people/groups would have a similar idea to make a film of this nature.
There are, for example, lots of spoofs of Mormons out there that are fairly similar to one another but originated from different people.
SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)just today on Pamela Geller Atlasshrugs site.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/09/atlas-exclusive-robert-spencer-max-blumenthal-dhimmis-down.html
Sounds like an unintended admission to me.
He is railing against Max Blumenthal who did this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/13/egypt-libya-hollywood-film?cat=commentisfree&type=article
I find all these connections too hard to ignore. Why would Ali Sina all of a sudden scrub any mention of the movie?
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Pamela Geller's Blog Solicited Funds For AN anti-Muhammad Film - no evidence (as yet) that the blog solicited funds for this particular film. This post implies that they have.
That being said, this movie does she to be right up their alley.
The funding for it - and production of it, however, seem to have originated elsewhere.
MariaM83
(233 posts)SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)My post 34. I found a blog that goes into much greater detail on the connections, than Daily Kos. I found it highly interesting.