Anti-Islam filmmaker "Sam Bacile" identity in question

(CBS News) An anti-Islamic film that triggered protest in the Middle East has also sparked confusion and debate in the U.S.: Just who is Sam Bacile?

Bacile had identified himself as an Israeli-American filmmaker, who uploaded a 14-minute trailer for the film "The Innocence of Muslims" to YouTube. The film purports to show the "real" Muhammad, painting a picture of the Muslim prophet as a philanderer and fraud. The video has been cited as the cause of protest in Egypt and Libya.

Steve Klein, a consultant on "Innocence of Muslims," the anti-Muslim YouTube video that has sparked international controversy, tells CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker that he has no regrets for the violence the film triggered.

But, Steve Klein, a California resident who says he was a consultant on the film, told CBS News Wednesday in an interview that the director name, Sam Bacile, is a fictitious name. The consultant also said he met with the filmmaker in person twice and that the man going by the name "Bacile" is not Israeli.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press over the phone from an undisclosed location, Bacile defended the film, saying "Islam is a cancer."

But as media organizations pursued information about this little-known filmmaker, who also said he was a California-based real estate agent, a recurring problem emerged - there is no evidence that he exists.

Four real estate organizations in Southern California told CBS News that they have no knowledge of anyone by the name of Sam Bacile. California state records show that no one with that name has a real estate license in the state of California.

Bacile told the AP that the two-hour movie cost $5 million to make and was financed by over 100 Jewish donors. The filmmaker went on to say that the movie was screened one time to a mostly empty theater in Hollywood, earlier this year.

The film has caught the attention of top officials. U.S. General Attorney Martin Dempey reached out to Pastor Terry Jones requesting that he pull his support. Jones, who runs a small church in Gainesville, Fla., gained national attention in 2011 when he publicly burned the Quran amid protests over plans for an Islamic center near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City.

In April, several protests broke out in Afghanistan and resulted in at least 20 deaths and many more injuries as a result of Jones' actions.

While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not address the YouTube video, she issued a statement on religious tolerance.

"Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," Clinton said in the statement released by the State Department. "The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind."

Bacile's video also raised questions over censorship on YouTube. Social media services like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook was highly praised for mobilizing protesters during the Arab Spring. What happens when the same services are not used altruistically?

YouTube blocked access to the video in Egypt and Libya Wednesday. A spokesperson for the company could not comment on the matter, but released this statement to CBS News via email:

"We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions. This can be a challenge because what's OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere. This video -- which is widely available on the Web--is clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube. However, given the very difficult situation in Libya and Egypt we have temporarily restricted access in both countries. Our hearts are with the families of the people murdered in yesterday's attack in Libya".

An armed man waves his rifle as buildings and cars are engulfed in flames after being set on fire inside the U.S. consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, Sept. 11, 2012.

/ STR/AFP/GettyImages

[ReneMCortes]

The "Sam Bacile" movie is a subconscious expression of desire by "Hollywood mentality" pedophiles; i.e.,those wannabees hiding their own dream wish using the "other" as coverup.

[KirikJenness]

This looks like a fine, fine movie to see. Hopefully it gets a very wide release.

[Fed-Up_Patriot]

Just imagine how much better the world would be if the news media would only spend 1/10th as much effort trying to track down terrorist - for this preplanned murder instead of trying to track down the creators of a satirical movie comedy. The news media always has claimed to trumpet free speech rights and also their rights of confidentiality to various news sources... unless of course it involves somebody critical of islam. You would have to be blind not to see that there is some serious double standards going on here. Journalist do you remember your ethics classes on this? About protecting sources of information if they could be harmed should their identity be revealed. Why is it these principals and your ethics go out the window - if the speech in question is critical of Islam? Journalist know d*mn well trying to shift blame of the violence onto creators of harmless movie - they mark these people for death and silence free speech and public debate on this issue - yet again.

[mikesugar9]

Sam Bacile is 99% Karl Rove. I think Karl Rove provided money for the movie. Probably he also provided money to those attackers. He intentionally creates a chaos in Obama Administration to interrupt Omama's reelection campaign. He is a born criminal and a born manipulator. Once he says he will remove Obama from White House using every possible means (dirty tricks that he loves).
We should tell his name to Al Jazeera.

[rksharma-2009]

I just did some calculations and it seems that we all have been fooled by the right wing thugs. Last time the Koran burning happened, it was before election of 2010, and now we have another election, the same characters are creating similar hysteria to see if it can help Romney this time. These fools think that by creating a fake film producer, they can get away with their twisted thinking. It is possible that the attacks in Libya may have been supported by the right wing also. Most people will protest, but in order to carry out systematic attacks against the embassy, you need to have professionals doing this job. Shame on you pastor John.

[johnlockesghost]

Steve Klein, the film maker (whatever his/her name may be) and those that funded this, ahem, film, are religious fanatics and as bad as the rioters in Libya and Egypt.

[johnlockesghost]

"Bacile told the AP that the two-hour movie cost $5 million to make and was financed by over 100 Jewish donors."---To be fair, 100 Islamic donors ought to foot the bill for an anti-Jewish film and put it on You Tube.

Now these people (the 100 Jewish donors and the film maker) knew damn well what the consequence would be in viewing their inflammatory film, so they should be held accountable also. Just because we embrace religious tolerance in the USA and most of Europe, doesn't mean that we shouldn't be aware of the religious intolerance of others and act accordingly.

As for myself, I couldn't care less about an anti-religious film, regardless of the religion.

[violist47]

A film like this seems less like freedom of speech and more like incitement to riot. Freedom of speech does not include shouting "fire" in a crowded theater.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

Not much different than Mel Gibson's attack on Jews in "The Passion of the Christ".

The problem here is that the filmmaker KNEW that Americans in the Middle East would be put in danger, as he knew the topic of his film well.

[Fed-Up_Patriot]

Glad you brought up the "shouting fire" analogy... And you are correct - falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater would be wrong and an abuse of free speech rights... However what if the person shouting fire is actually telling the truth? then in that circumstance they would actually be a hero for alerting people to the danger in their midst. The fact that so many acts of violence have resulted from a film only slightly critical of this religion highlights that the perceived fire might actually be real and far worse then first perceived. Therefore criticisms of this religion likely have merit and should be open to public debate.

I saw a few pieces of this film already on youtube - the tone is actually that of a play comedy - that does poke fun often through satire. And from what I saw no more worse then the "Book of Mormon" play about the Mormon faith. I don't remember seeing Mormons going berserk running around killing people after that play first opened.

There definitely is a double standard going on with regard to Islam. Why is it nobody is allowed to question or have debate of any sort regarding this one religion? Its like there's this big elephant in the room and everybody wants to act like its not even there or is simply too afraid to talk or something.

[davidd5063]

Only the GOP is capable of producing a film so totally devoid of fact and aimed at inciting irrational fear and violence among the "not so bright" - my guess is Sam Bacile is Karl Rove.

[mikesugar9]

I am surprised with your comment because I have been talking about Karl Rove's criminal mind. Your guess is probably right. I just try to write that Bacile is Karl Rove. Sam Bacile is not Jew name at all. He is a born criminal. He is a born manipulator. I still believe that he did something on Florida votes in 2000 presidential election. The major problem is that Rove has no brain for politics, just his brain is filled with ideas of how to commit crimes. He is worse than Rush Limbaugh. Both of them are cancer of our society.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

by armeedutwelve

How is someone killing for religion worse than killing for nothing?

---------------

Because killing for religion is killing for FAIRY TALES.

You'll never get it. You're too brainwashed.