The REAL secret of the Da Vinci Code..who put up the money to make it.

Today, Pope Benedict issued a Papal Bull mandating death for author Dan Brown, actor Tom Hanks and the makers of the Da Vinci Code film for defaming Catholicism and the Catholic Church. In Rio De Janeiro and in Chicago, Bible waving Catholics burned the offices of the local Sony Distributor and a worldwide boycott of Sony products has been announced.

In Jerusalem, New York, Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, several book stores carrying Dan Brown's novel were burned to the ground in riots instigated by Orthodox Jewish Rabbis. Brown has reportedly gone into hiding, as the Chief Rabbi of Israel has announced that anyone causing his death would be commiting a mitvah, a Holy Act according to the Torah.

Ooops, sorry. Wrong religions. My bad.

But consider this for a moment. What do you think the reactions of Muslims worldwide would be if a Jew or a Christian financed the making of a film that chronicled some of the less savory aspects of Mohammed's career, let alone questioned his status as a prophet or divine `messenger'?

Interestingly enough, the film version of `The Da Vinci Code' was almost entirely financed by none other than Mohammed Yusef, the founder and Chairman of Invicta Capital in Great Britain. Invicta put up £100 million of the £114 million that the movie reportedly cost. That allowed Sony to dramatically reduce its cost of borrowing money to produce and market the movie.

Not only that, but due to a wrinkle in the British tax laws, The British government is helping pay the tab! According to the Sunday London Times , Yusef and Invicta took advantage of a tax break that was designed by Inland Revenue (Britain's IRS) to promote filmmaking in Britain.

Under the scheme, if an investor puts in £50,000 and borrows another £200,000 to help fund a film’s post-production costs, the entire investment is put down as a tax loss. The Inland Revenue returns 40% or £100,000 to the investor who then has 15 years to pay it back as he receives annual leasing fees from the studio.

Sweet. Actually, a little too sweet. According to the article, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown was so angry that a measure designed to attract filmmakers to Britain has been used as a tax deferral scam that he has ended the program unless filming started before April 1.

Ted Baehr, The chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission says that "The Da Vinci Code" is an anti-Christian and anti-Semitic film. Baehr told reporters at a Washington news conference, "I think it's a very serious problem when people start funding movies and books to attack somebody else's religious faith." He said the financial backing for "The Da Vinci Code" reveals "a terrible double standard" by Muslims who erupt in violent protests when they believe their own faith is being attacked.

Now me,I'm not for violent fatwas and all for freedom of speech. But what do you think the odds are that a movie like `The Last Temptation of Mohammed' or `The Ka'abah Code' would ever be made by Hollywood? Or that a picture of Mohammed in a jar of urine or a Qu'ran smeared with elephant dung would ever be considered art and funded by the NEA?

Heck, the Main Stream Media couldn't even bring itself to publish a few inocuous MoToons out of sheer cowardice.

When I reflect on this, I have to smile at George Cloony's little homily at the Academy Awards about how courageous and cutting edge Hollywood and the elite media is.