A spokesman for St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church of Honolulu said he was disappointed to learn that the man thought to have made the anti-Islam film that sparked violent protests in Africa and the Middle East has an apparent connection to the Coptic Church, and reiterated his church’s stance condemning both the film and the deadly reaction it sparked.
"It is unfortunate that emotions can get enflamed by nonsense like that," Wagdy Guirguis said Sunday. "Common sense has to prevail. Copts and Muslims need to consider the source and embrace each other as we have for the last 1,200 years."
Egyptian-born Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was questioned by federal investigators last week regarding his role in producing the film "Innocence of Muslims," which portrays the prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, pedophile and fool.
Bishop Serapion, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii, told the Los Angeles Times that he received a call from Nakoula on Thursday and that Nakoula denied any involvement with the film.
Serapion told the newspaper that he did not previously know Nakoula but later learned that he had attended Coptic churches, including St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Bellflower, Calif.
"We condemn this film," Serapion told the Times. "We don’t agree with this way of insulting others. We also very strongly say it is unfair to put the responsibility of this kind of action on the Coptic Church, even if some individuals were involved."
Guirguis echoed Serapion’s statement, noting that images of angry protests carried by the media may not accurately represent the response of Muslims as a whole.
"The protests are taking place in a quarter-mile area near the embassy and the people protesting are kids, hooligans, who don’t represent the sentiment of the Egyptian majority," said Guirguis, who has been in contact with family back in Egypt.
Guirguis said there has been no backlash against the Coptic Church here.
"The Muslim community here are good friends of ours," he said. "We respect and support each other. If everybody had the same spirit that we have here, the world would be a better place."
