Movie 'extremist' theatens to sue

Sacha Baron Cohen has made another enemy: a man he named as a terrorist.

Palestinian Ayman Abu Aita has called Baron Cohen a ‘big liar’ who ‘made up stories’ as he joined the ever-lengthening queue of people threatening to sue over his Bruno movie.

In the film Aita is described as a ‘terrorist group leader’, and during their interview Baron Cohen goaded him by describing Osama Bin Laden as a ‘homeless Santa’.

Indeed, Aita served in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militia group and was jailed for shooting Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem.

However, as a representative of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, he now claims to be a reformed man. Fatah has previously made payments to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is widely considered to be an armed faction of the recognised political party.

According to the Right-wing World Net Daily website, Aita was shocked when he learned his interview would be used for a film with such strong homosexual tones.

Aita told WND; ‘[Baron Cohen] said this was a film going to help the Palestinian cause. When I heard what this film was about I really didn't believe it.'

He also disputed Baron Cohen’s claims on the Letterman show last week that Aita brought a bodyguard to the interview at an undisclosed West Bank location, in which he hinted that Aita may have been armed.

Aita says the interview took place at a private section of a restaurant in part of the West Bank under Israeli control, where Palestinians cannot carry weapons, and that his colleage who attended the interview was the American manager of the Holy Land Trust, which advocates an independent Palestine by peaceful methods.

Aita told WND Bruno ‘behaved very normally’ in the interview, which he told would help his cause. ‘I didn't have any impression he would use my interview in a bad way,’ he said.

He is now seeking legal advice.

Here is the interview as it appears in the film:

Published: 13 Jul 2009