The movie, "Innocence of Muslims," which mocked Muslims and the prophet Muhammad, made by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has been the focus of those involved in the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Egypt and the U.S. Consulate in Libya this week. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who grew up in the East Bay, .
Nakoula, an Egyptian who immigrated and is a now resident of Los Angeles, is believed by some to be Coptic Christian, according to Wikipedia.
Patch spoke to a deacon from the St. Mary & St. John Coptic Orthodox Church in Pleasanton, which has more than 300 members, about the violence being created by the film and the notion of Coptic Christians are somehow linked to the film. The St. Mary & St. John Coptic Orthodox Church is one of only eight Coptic Christian churches in the Bay Area.
"The film is totally incompatible with true Christian values," said Dr. Adel Michael. "Many movies have been made in the past insulting Jesus Christ and Christianity and we cannot control people. We have become a victim getting caught in between. I have not seen the movie, but a lot of people try to fuel the fire and start trouble between the Muslim and Christian communities."
Michael says that a lot of different people have a lot of different agendas for why they do things.
"We as Coptic Christians, defamation of any religion, symbol or teaching, is incompatible with the Christian values," commented Michael. "Defamation of any religion is a crime and should be addressed. Since we cannot control these types of people [who make movies like this] we can condemn them and boycott these movies so they will eventually go away."
Michael says Christians do not go and burn mosques or synagogues. In fact, the church website says "love God, love others."
"We just don't do that," he said. "We respect everyone's beliefs and values so we can have love and peace."
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