people who lie, news stories, and damage done
i dont normally post this kind of news, but i feel this is of critical importance... and i dont know how much coverage this will get.....
for years there has been a blog, under the heading " a gay girl in Damascus" written by Amina Arraf. she reported on events in Syria, including the riots and uprisings, persecutions, etc.
and she suddenly stopped blogging, and her cousin reported she had been arrested by the police.
except it wasnt true.
any of it.
when concerned readers started trying to find her, started getting their state departments involved,started looking for her, it rapidly unraveled. Amina, was not Syrian, not gay, not a girl, not missing....
it was a 40 year old western man who says he was "trying to help by reporting the situation there".
nope.
i admit, its possible he was trying. He didnt merely fail, if so...
what he has done is insult all the real news bloggers out there.
what he has done is insult the real people by saying a western man is needed to tell their story.
what he has DONE is damage the credibility of every real person in an oppressed area trying to get news out as best they can.
what he has done is declared that not ONE THING he reported can be taken as true.
once you find out that someone lies... especially if they do so repeatedly, and deliberately... you HAVE to assume they are always lying.
oh its one thing to write under a pen name
its certainly fine if you declare you are writing fiction, but saying "the issues are serious".
but to lie about BEING THERE to see events?
to lie about being in danger?
to lie about being arrested?
when this person writes his book, or tries for his television deal, or gets his "new blog"... (and he will).just remember that he deliberately lied. for years. and caused an international uproar, and scared people who genuinely believed him, and HURT all the people who really are in danger, oppressed, and trying to get news out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-gay-girl-in-damascus-comes-clean/2011/06/12/AGkyH0RH_story.html
for years there has been a blog, under the heading " a gay girl in Damascus" written by Amina Arraf. she reported on events in Syria, including the riots and uprisings, persecutions, etc.
and she suddenly stopped blogging, and her cousin reported she had been arrested by the police.
except it wasnt true.
any of it.
when concerned readers started trying to find her, started getting their state departments involved,started looking for her, it rapidly unraveled. Amina, was not Syrian, not gay, not a girl, not missing....
it was a 40 year old western man who says he was "trying to help by reporting the situation there".
nope.
i admit, its possible he was trying. He didnt merely fail, if so...
what he has done is insult all the real news bloggers out there.
what he has done is insult the real people by saying a western man is needed to tell their story.
what he has DONE is damage the credibility of every real person in an oppressed area trying to get news out as best they can.
what he has done is declared that not ONE THING he reported can be taken as true.
once you find out that someone lies... especially if they do so repeatedly, and deliberately... you HAVE to assume they are always lying.
oh its one thing to write under a pen name
its certainly fine if you declare you are writing fiction, but saying "the issues are serious".
but to lie about BEING THERE to see events?
to lie about being in danger?
to lie about being arrested?
when this person writes his book, or tries for his television deal, or gets his "new blog"... (and he will).just remember that he deliberately lied. for years. and caused an international uproar, and scared people who genuinely believed him, and HURT all the people who really are in danger, oppressed, and trying to get news out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-gay-girl-in-damascus-comes-clean/2011/06/12/AGkyH0RH_story.html