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"I never expected this level of attention. While the narrative voıce may have been fictional, the facts on thıs blog are true and not mısleading as to the situation on the ground. I do not believe that I have harmed anyone -- I feel that I have created an important voice for issues that I feel strongly about. I only hope that people pay as much attention to the people of the Middle East and their struggles in thıs year of revolutions. The events there are beıng shaped by the people living them on a daily basis. I have only tried to illuminate them for a western audience." - Heterosexual American writer Tom MacMaster, confessing that he was the author of Gay Girl In Damascus, a blog which gained international attention last week when MacMaster pretended to have been kidnapped.
The New York Times warns that not one person can report having actually met or spoken to the lesbian blogger allegedly kidnapped yesterday in Syria. In fact, some recent entries on her blog may have first been posted in 2007.
Although it remains possible that the blog’s author was indeed detained, and has been writing a factual, not fictional account of recent events in Syria, readers should be aware that the one person who has identified herself — to The Times, The BBC and Al Jazeera — as a personal friend of the blogger, Sandra Bagaria, has now clarified that she has never actually met the author of the Gay Girl in Damascus blog. Ms. Bagaria told The Lede that she had also never conversed with Ms. Arraf face to face via Skype, but had conducted an online relationship with her since January entirely through Internet text communications.
Details are sketchy, but here's what's being reported: As the anti-government uprising in Syria has unfolded, Syrian-American blogger Amina Abdallah has attracted readers and been noticed by The Washington Post, CNN, Time,and The Guardian for her musings on the protest movement and what it's like to be gay in Syria. But her blog--A Gay Girl in Damascus--broached a very different topic today: Someone introducing herself as Abdallah's cousin wrote that Abdallah was seized by three armed men while on her way to meet with protest organizers. The cousin adds that while the family suspects Abdallah was seized by Syrian security forces, all that's known right now is that she's missing.A Facebook page demanding Amina's release has been launched.
As Bahrain continues to be roiled by widespread civil unrest, the trial has begun for some of the 127 men arrested earlier this month at a purported "gay party." Gay Middle East reports:
Al Wasat News reported today that court proceedings commenced against 52 men who were arrested on the third of February. 49 of the 52 defendants attended the court proceeding, while two are fugitives, and one, who was released on bail, failed to appear before the fifth branch of lower criminal court of Bahrain. Al Wasat reports that 40 of the men are gay while the rest were involved in the running of the party. The men were not named but given numbers. Since there is no law against homosexuality in Bahrain the 40 defendants nevertheless were charged with incitement to immorality/debauchery and prostitution. Of the 40, 29 were also charged with engaging in immoral behaviour "in public" by dressing up like women and dancing in public. Some were also charged with cannabis consumption and being drunk "in public."All of the defendants denied the accusations. GME notes that since the party was held in private, the charges of "offending public morality" should not apply.
Libyan dictator Muammar Gadaffi just appeared on state television to declare that he will not step down and that he plans to "die here as a martyr.'
He described protesters who have carried out days of anti-government demonstrations as "rats", adding: "This is my country and the country of our ancestors". Speaking in a loud voice, Col Gadaffi has claimed that Libya's image was being distorted by foreign media and that world leaders were conspiring against the country. "They want to disfigure and undermine and tarnish the reputation of the people and the country," he said as he called on his supporters to take to the streets on Wednesday. Earlier, Libyan state TV declared he was set to announce plans to devolve some of his powers after 41 years of rule.Many nations are presently evacuating their citizens from Libya as widespread civil unrest and government reprisals continue.
Andrew Sullivan links to a story about a Pew report on attitudes towards Islamist punishments.
Should adulterers be stoned? Should robbers be whipped, or their hands amputated? Should apostates from Islam be subject to the death penalty? On the x-axis you see the proportion who accept that adulterers should be stoned. On the y-axis you see the responses to amputation and apostasy. The red points are the proportion who agree with the death penalty for apostates, and the navy points those who believe in whipping or amputation for robbers. ... Compare Turkey to Egypt. They’re in totally different regions of the scatter plot. There is simply no comparison between these societies on these issues, despite both being Muslim and Middle Eastern.
As pro-Democracy protests arise once again in Iran, yesterday members of the Iranian Parliament erupted into chants calling for the executions of the leaders of the protests.
Apparently this time it's true. Mass celebrations are breaking out all over Cairo. Every news channel is on it, get to a television and watch some history if you can.
Contrary to jubilant early reports today, Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak is not stepping down, but is merely transferring some power to his number two man. Angry crowds are presently marching on the television studio where Mubarak made the below announcement less than an hour ago. I'll replace this clip with a proper network account when it becomes available.
A quick glance at today's World Net Daily headlines tells you how the American Christian right feels about the situation in Egypt. Meanwhile wingnut "prophet" Cindy Jacobs has issued a prayer that Hosni Mubarak holds office. According to Jacobs, Mubarak has been done in by President Obama's "treachery and betrayal."
"Pray for wise and educated voices of authority to stand up and speak the truth, about this event and where it is headed. —Pray that the Lord would forgive America for the deceitful undermining of an ally nation, done by Obama. Keep in mind that Egypt currently has a peace treaty in effect with Israel. Pray that the Lord would protect American citizens from the terrible consequences that might come as a result of this treachery and betrayal perpetrated by the US leadership. America had been shown to be profoundly weak, unreliable, and compromised in these last two Obama years, but now more than ever. Pray that the Lord would protect the people of America in this nation’s high state of vulnerability."
He's OK but things are rapidly devolving as pro-Mubarak forces have arrived en masse and are attacking the previously peaceful protesters.
