Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the filmmaker who made the controversial “Innocence of Muslim” movie that was blamed for protests across the Middle East last year, gave his first interview on Tuesday.
Nakoula spoke with CNN after he was released from prison about the film--a trailer of which was posted on YouTube. The film showed the Prophet Mohammed in a negative light and was focused on by Egyptian media, triggering some protests.
“Because, you know, I never thought, my movie can cause anyone trouble or anyone can get killed from my movie,” he told CNN, referring to accusations that his movie triggered the deadly attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last year.
“Guys, before you do anything, please give yourself time to think about it, because you are responsible people. You are in a place - you have to be responsible in it,” Nakoula told the Obama administration in the interview.
Actors in the film complained that they were duped into acting in “Innocence of Muslims,” with some saying they thought it was for a movie called “Desert Warrior.”
“My movie is not a religion movie, it’s political more than [religious]. I never be against any religion. I have a Muslim friends. I am against the terrorism culture,” Nakoula, a 55-year-old Egyptian-born man, told CNN. “I am against Osama bin Laden. I am against (Al Qaeda leader Ayman al) Zawahiri. I am against (Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal) Hasan. … I am against the culture itself, not the religion.”
Nakoula will write more books and create more films about Islam, according to the Daily Caller.
“The first reason I am writing this book is to tell the world we never forget our heroes and the second reason is to tell [everyone] that I’m not afraid,” Nakoula wrote in the forward for an upcoming book, according to the website.
