Lesbian blogger of 'gay girl in Damascus' fame kidnapped in Syria
Damascus, June 8 (ANI): A popular Syrian-American lesbian author of the Syrian blog called "A Gay Girl in Damascus" has been kidnapped by armed men in Damascus. Amina Arraf, who blogs under the name Amina Abdallah, was kidnapped while she and her friend were going to a meeting in the Syrian capital, Fox News reports. Her blog reportedly started in February and it featured poems along with criticism of the Syrian crackdown on protesters. A blog post from a woman who identified herself as Amina's cousin, indicates that Amina was kidnapped by three armed men in their early 20s. She wrote that the kidnappers are likely one of the security services or the Baath Party militia. "One of the men then put his hand over Amina's mouth and they hustled her into a red Dacia Logan," Rania Ismail, the cousin, posted. Ismail wrote that it is unclear who to appeal to get the woman back and her kidnappers may be forcibly deporting her. Sandra Bagaria, the woman's partner, said she was in email contact with Amina an hour before the kidnapping. "She was going to meet with two activists, and that was it; it was the last time I heard from her," said Bagaria. The US State Department said that it is looking into the issue. Amina, whose blog has drawn fans from across the globe, holds both Syrian and American citizenships. (ANI)
