Egypt's Attorney General on Tuesday urged action against seven Egyptian Copts living in the United States and suspected of being involved in the production or distribution of an amateur film which led to a wave of violence in the Muslim world.
The seven men - Morris Sadek, Nabil Bissada, Esmat Zaklama, Elia Bassily Ihab Yacoub, Jack Atallah and Adel Riad - are accused of insulting Islam, insulting the Prophet (Muhammad) and inciting religious hatred, according to a statement by the prosecutors. The small-budget film "Innocence of Muslims" depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a thug and offended many Muslims.
Excerpts from this amateur film loaded to YouTube. It was produced by a small group of American Christian extremists and triggered a wave of anti-American protests in some 20 countries, including Egypt.
On September 11, the Egyptian police were slow to react when demonstrators attacked the U.S. embassy in Cairo, climbing on walls and tearing the American flag.
