California's Coptic Christians Condemn Anti-Islam Film

LOS ANGELES —  California Coptic Christians say they are shocked that an Egyptian Coptic immigrant appears to be the producer of an inflammatory film that has sparked violent protests across the Muslim world. They say the film violates the tenets of their faith.

On Sunday, festival day at a Coptic church that is home to Christian immigrants from Egypt, Bishop Serapion performed baptisms.

But on the feast day of the one congregation's patron saints, thoughts turned to the homeland, which last week erupted in protests that have spread across the Muslim world.

Tuesday, a violent assault in Libya claimed the lives of four American diplomats, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, a respected figure.

The protests were sparked by a film that ridicules the Prophet Muhammad. It was privately produced, but demonstrators blame the U.S. government for it. The California man thought to be behind the film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, says he is a Coptic Christian. He has served prison time for bank fraud and authorities questioned him on Saturday about possible violations of his parole. The movie, widely seen by Muslims as offensive, is not illegal under the free speech provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

Los Angeles Coptic Orthodox Bishop Serapion and other leaders of his church condemn the film.

“Because we believe that is against our Christian faith, which we are against insulting the feelings of people,” he explained.

The film is widely rejected within the Coptic community, says church member Maher Said.

“We don't say bad things about any religion,” insisted Said.

He says he is worried that some Muslims have unjustly blamed all Coptic Christians in the West for the film.

These church members say they do not know alleged filmmaker Nakoula, but that the U.S. Coptic community has nothing to do with the movie, and that whoever produced it does not represent their faith, which demands respect for all religions.

Photo Gallery: Anti-US Protests