Yesterday, I spent the day walking the beach and quietly reflectingabout my husband, who was killed on September 11th. Eleven years later,I am finally able to find my own peace.
By stark contrast, I woke up this morning to the news of four Americanskilled in Libya and protests in Cairo. And, I asked myself "how couldthis have happened?"
Many people will assuredly believe that the only people to blame forthis deadly violence are the Muslims who did it.
And undoubtedly, those who carried out this horrendous act are guilty.
But please remain mindful that the Muslims might not be the only ones responsible.
After reading reports including Al Jazeera's coverage below, someimmediate questions came to my mind and I hope all Americans willdemand the answers to these questions.
From Al Jazeera:
The film was made by an Israeli filmmaker, Sam Bacile, who has goneinto hiding.
The film was promoted by Morris Sadek, an extreme anti-Muslim EgyptianChristian campaigner who lives in California.
Speaking by phone to the Associated Press from an undisclosed location,writer and director Bacile remained defiant, maintaining that heintended his film to be a provocative political statement.
Bacile, 52, admitted he had not anticipated such a furious reaction tohis film and said: "I feel sorry for the embassy. I am mad".
He also said the film was produced in English and that he did not knowwho had dubbed it in Arabic.
The full film has not been shown yet, he said, and he said he haddeclined distribution offers for now.
The two-hour movie, "Innocence of Muslims'', cost $5m to make and wasfinanced with the help of more than 100 Jewish donors, said Bacile.
Sadek said that he had promoted the video on his website and on certainTV stations, which he did not identify.
My Five Questions:
1. Who are the alleged "over 100 Jewish donors" who financed this film?Will they be sending their condolences to the families of the fourAmericans killed because of their film? Will they in any way bepublicly heldaccountable for their support of this film and its message?
2. Will Sam Bacile, the filmmaker, and Morris Sadek, the film'spromoter, be held accountable for their seeming incitement of terroristacts against U.S. interests abroad?
3. Who allegedly translated this film into Arabic since it wasoriginally notavailable in Arabic?
4. Specifically, how did this film get released and made available toLibyan andEgyptian youth on September 11th, particularly since it was apparentlynot readily available to them online in its full form?
In effect, in my opinion, somebody "pushed" this film out there toincite and spread hatred and rage in the Middle East on September 11th,and the identity of the person or organization behind this plot shouldbe exposed and held accountable.
5. Given the broad and sweeping powers of the U.S. Patriot Act (an Actthat I despise), will the U.S. government be electronically"backtracking" and investigating who isresponsible for the creation, translation, and distribution of thisfilm that has incited the senseless killings of four Americans? Andwill the families of those killed be able to hold any and all of theseindividuals or organizations accountable in an open court of law?
Finally, I offer my sincere condolences to the families of those killedyesterday; it breaks my heart to witness such violent acts particularlyon the anniversary of September 11th.