Sacha Baron Cohen steps up security after Bruno 'terrorist' threat
Militant Palestinian group threaten actor over its portrayal in the film Bruno.
28 July 2009
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SACHA BARON COHEN has stepped up his personal security after a militant Palestinian group threatened him over its portrayal in the film Brüno.
The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades said that it was “very upset” that it featured in the film, starring Baron Cohen’s gay Austrian alter ego.
“We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man,” it said in a statement.
“The movie was part of a conspiracy against the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.”
The offending scene involves the London-born comic mocking Ayman Abu Aita, who was identified as the group’s leader but now claims to have severed all links to it.
"We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man"
Bruno tells Abu Aita: “I want to be famous. I want the best guys in the business to kidnap me. Al-Qaeda is so 2001.”
The fashionista goes on to say: “Your king Osama looks like a kind of dirty wizard or a homeless Santa Claus.”
Baron Cohen is said to be taking the threat seriously and has improved security around him and his family.
The brigade is alleged to be responsible for the murder of at least 52 Israeli civilians between 2002 and 2004.
Abu Aita claims he was told the film was a documentary to help “mobilise the young people to help us [Palestinians]”.
His lawyer, Hatem Abu Ahmad, said: “This joke is very dangerous. We are not in the United States, we are not in Europe. We are in the Middle East and the world operates differently here.”
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