Protests against the film began in Egypt on Tuesday and have since spread to more than two dozen countries, including Libya, Yemen, Bangladesh, Sudan, Qatar, Kuwait, Jerusalem and Iraq, according to international reports. Four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, were killed in Libya on Tuesday. The Obama administration is investigating whether that attack was tied the film.
Joseph Nassralla, as he is known, heads a Christian charity. Nakoula is a convicted felon. Both live near Los Angeles, according to reports. Sadek is an incendiary activist who lives near Washington. Coptic leaders said they are investigating what ties — if any — the men have to mainstream Copts in the United States.
There are about 300,000 Copts in the United States, most of whom live in Los Angeles and the Northeast. Copts in Egypt, where the faith was born, regularly face discrimination and violence at the hands of the Muslim majority, according to the State Department.
Bishop Serapion of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii said he “strongly rejects dragging the respectable Copts of the Diaspora” into the controversy.
“The producers of this movie should be responsible for their actions,” Serapion said in a statement. “The name of our blessed parishioners should not be associated with the efforts of individuals who have ulterior motives.”
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Religion News Service LLC/ The Washington Post