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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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 Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:30 pm Post subject: A Gay Girl in Damascus |
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This story is somewhat multi-pronged, involving numerous websites and even a few MSM outlets. But, it's kind of interesting(and ongoing), so I'll just post the wikipedia entry as a centralized source for the rest of it.
In a nutshell, someone purporting to be a lesbian of American-Syrian ethnicity started writing a blog during the Arab Spring, supposedly documenting events in Damascus. The ideological perspective was generally left-wing, supportive of the uprisings, with a particular focus on rebutting "liberal orientalists" who defend the existing regimes as being better for gay rights than the Muslim fundamentalists who are supposedly behind the Arab Spring.
The blog took on a life of its own, and "Amina" was even interviewed, via e-mail, by CNN. Then, on June 6, the blog reported than "Amina" had been kidnapped(presumbaly by government forces), and that story went viral.
And then...
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Hoax
In the wake of the kidnapping reports, questions have begun to be raised about the possibility that not only the kidnapping but Araf al Omari herself may be an elaborate ongoing hoax.[4] Writer/editor Liz Henry was quoted in the "Middle East Live" blog run by The Guardian saying, "I started having doubts based on some of her patterns of talking about personas and fiction.... I would hate to have my existence doubted and am finding it painful to continue doubting Amina's. If she is real, I am very sorry and will apologize and continue to work for her release and support."[20] This possibility was also part of a discussion on the BBC World Service programme World Have Your Say including fellow blogger Andy Carvin, who has expressed more confidence that she is real, but admits the evidence is ambiguous.[21]
Araf al Omari had previously published a blog called Amina's Attempts at Art (And Alliteration) which advertised itself as a mix of fiction and non-fiction: "This blog is ... ... where I will be posting samples of fiction and literature I am working on. This blog will contain chapters and drafts. This blog will have what may sometimes seem likely deeply personal accounts. And sometimes they will be. But there will also be fiction. And I will not tell you which is which. This blog will sample what I'm writing. This blog is not a diary. This blog is not about politics. This blog invites your comments."[22]
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Long and the short, yes it is a hoax, by two American teachers living and studying in Scotland. But they did manage to fool CNN and, if I'm reading it correctly, The Guardian. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:26 am Post subject: |
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I was kind of taken aback by the story and suspicious. Gay people in Syria don't usually try to attract attention. At least, not at this juncture in the culture. They are not persecuted, but they deal with discrimination. I was open to the possibility. I wasn't shocked that it was a fake. I was actually surprised that it could be real where someone focuses on being a lesbian blogger in Syria and then talking about politics.
What that American living in Scotland did was irresponsible. People worried about a person they thought was real. In a sense, he was feeding all these people lies for some time. Even if he is a Middle Eastern activist, who is going to trust his credentials as an activist after this? |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:42 am Post subject: |
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| the Muslim fundamentalists who are supposedly behind the Arab Spring |
..i'm working on the assumption that the US is behind it.
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| America is pursuing a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East. We're challenging the enemies of reform, confronting the allies of terror, and expecting a higher standard from our friends. For too long, American policy looked away while men and women were oppressed, their rights ignored and their hopes stifled. That era is over, and we can be confident. As in Germany, and Japan, and Eastern Europe, liberty will overcome oppression in the Middle East. (Applause.) |
George W Bush, February 4th 2004
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040204-4.html |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Even if he is a Middle Eastern activist, who is going to trust his credentials as an activist after this? |
When I first read some of the blog entries, I honestly figured the guy was a right-winger doing an impersonation of a supposedly typical left-wing third-world apologist.
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Those evil primitive Moozlims and Ayrabs, see, unlike the brilliant stars of tolerance who want to indiscriminately bomb any worshipper of Allah, are ho-mo-phobes � �cause there aren�t San Francisco style Gay Rights parades in Teheran or Damascus � and since religious conservatives here preach against same sex marriage (and of course no one opposes that in Antrim or Alabama save for Moozlims!), the whole religion be damned, nuke�em, gas�em, it don�t matter �.
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As a description of the "liberal orientalist" mindset, this could only serve as a total straw-man. It's practically a standing invitation for some pro-war liberal to come along and say "Well, no, actually, in Iran they do a bit more than ban San Franciso style parades." And then post an image of the two guys they hung on sodomy charges.
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| People worried about a person they thought was real. In a sense, he was feeding all these people lies for some time. |
In situations like this, I think people believe because they WANT to believe. Basically, if you're a pro-gay, anti-war left-winger, this blogger is telling you everything you want to hear about what gays in Syria think about liberal interventionism.
If MacMaster had claimed to be a gay Syrian who totally supports western intervention in order to liberate gays, then the people who believed GGID would probably have been a lot more skeptical about "her" credentials.
The heading now reads...
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A Hoax
A Hoax that got way out of hand. I never meant to hurt anyone.
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If he honestly didn't want it to get out of hand, he shoulda thought twice about posting the story about being kidnapped. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Junior wrote: |
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| the Muslim fundamentalists who are supposedly behind the Arab Spring |
..i'm working on the assumption that the US is behind it.
| Quote: |
| America is pursuing a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East. We're challenging the enemies of reform, confronting the allies of terror, and expecting a higher standard from our friends. For too long, American policy looked away while men and women were oppressed, their rights ignored and their hopes stifled. That era is over, and we can be confident. As in Germany, and Japan, and Eastern Europe, liberty will overcome oppression in the Middle East. (Applause.) |
George W Bush, February 4th 2004
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040204-4.html |
I was expecting the Arab Spring since the mid 1990s. That's when the seeds were essentially planted. With the spread of satellite television all over the Arab world controversial ideas began spreading in the rooms in Damascus, Baghdad, Riyadh, Tunisia etc..... Even in Iraq, people would smuggle in the 1990s recordings of Al Jazeera. Regardless of what one thinks of Al Jazeera, it did provide many controversial pundits who were critical of the status quo, Russians, Americans, and Israelis. With the introduction of the internet in the late 1990s things accelerated, but the changes are more attributed to satellite television. Many Arab families spend a lot of time watching satellite shows.
Israel is a different case. It's an island on to itself. Since it is not Arabic, Semitic state. It only gets exposed to what is acceptable in Israel. That does include a lot of variety, but in some ways there is less competition.
Israel is in a protective mode whereas various Arab networks have attached each others cherished truths.
The main thing was the fall of Mubarak and the president of Tunisia, and the rebellion that broke out in Libya. It was more of if they can, then why can't we, too. Syria is a different situation than Egypt. The Egyptian Army was not heavily influenced by a religious minority. That's the case in Syria. In Syria, certain people have been indoctrinated to believe that if they fall, then people will come after certain sectors of the population.
Sectarian fear exists and is nurtured in Syria, and Israel is not sure it wants the government to fall. On the one hand, a Sunni dominated Syria would not like Hezbollah, but on the other hand they would be more genuinely pro-Palestinian than the current regime since it wouldn't have to manipulate Pan-Arabism as much as the minority regime does. |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| I heard the guy being interviewed on Al Jazeera. It was excruciating; he is such a sanctimonious nob, he really thinks his work of fiction has had some positive impact on the whole world. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:35 am Post subject: |
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And it gets even better. "Amina" had been sending her posts to another lesbian blog called LezGetReal. Turns out the host of LGR, Paula, was actually a 58 year old American retired Air Force Colonel named Bill Graber.
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The two exchanged messages for months, but Graber said he kept it strictly business. Whenever Arraf became flirtatious, he said, he claimed Paula had a girlfriend and was not interested in anything beyond the reporting from Syria.
"That would not accomplish the purpose of the blog, which is to report the news � not go into drama," he said.
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Well, if you can't trust "hot lesbian chat" on the internet, what CAN you trust?
MSNBC |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 5:04 am Post subject: |
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LezGetReal
It's actually not a bad website. "Paula" apparently had a bit of a following. I gather the editors are going to try to keep the site going now that Graber has been outted as not lesbian. |
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Friend Lee Ghost
Joined: 06 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:38 am Post subject: |
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Who was it that said:
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| The internet: where women are men, and kids are FBI agents. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| Friend Lee Ghost wrote: |
Who was it that said:
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| The internet: where women are men, and kids are FBI agents. |
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A pervert?
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Isn't this good news, BTW? People can't cloak their identities behind the internet forever.
The news media, however, are sickening. They've taken their gullibility and turned it into a story. "There's a lot of anger over this." Yes, at the dumbass circus media who promoted this and then eagerly jumped on the hoax for more coverage!!! |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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This story is exactly "why they hate us".
There have probably been dozens, if not hundreds, of activists arrested in Syria over the years. No one in America cares.
Johnny-Come-Lately Cute Lesbian with a blog gets arrested? Outrage, Media Headlines!
That sums up everything that they see wrong with our culture- Short Attention Span, Headline Driven, Sex-Obsessed, Superficial, Technology-Dependent. Fraudulent. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| I was reading that the gay community in Syria was incensed by this because some tried to find that person and worried about her. They also felt they were under the spotlight for the wrong reason. I thought the story was strange. I didn't know what to think. I was surprised by the whole blog thing. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| It does serve as a reminder not to trust just any old blog. |
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Friend Lee Ghost
Joined: 06 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:15 am Post subject: |
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| Kuros wrote: |
| Friend Lee Ghost wrote: |
Who was it that said:
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| The internet: where women are men, and kids are FBI agents. |
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A pervert? |
OK, now stop projecting! And get a sense of humor while you are at it, too.  |
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