Gerald
06-13-11, 05:52 AM
The student behind a hoax blog which claimed to be written by a gay woman in Syria has defended his actions.
Tom MacMaster, a US student at the University of Edinburgh, said the blog had been a fiction - but that the facts it contained were true.
His blog, A Gay Girl in Damascus, described life in the Syrian city amid the current political unrest.
It gained a worldwide readership and was closely followed by news organisations.
The blog, dating back to February this year, claimed to document the life of 25-year-old Amina Abdallah Arraf al-Omari, a half-Syrian, half-American lesbian living in Damascus.
Entries covered her social life and relationships, but "Amina" also criticised President Bashar al-Assad and spoke about her role in the growing anti-government protests.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13747761
Note: 13 June 2011 Last updated at 09:19 GMT
Tom MacMaster, a US student at the University of Edinburgh, said the blog had been a fiction - but that the facts it contained were true.
His blog, A Gay Girl in Damascus, described life in the Syrian city amid the current political unrest.
It gained a worldwide readership and was closely followed by news organisations.
The blog, dating back to February this year, claimed to document the life of 25-year-old Amina Abdallah Arraf al-Omari, a half-Syrian, half-American lesbian living in Damascus.
Entries covered her social life and relationships, but "Amina" also criticised President Bashar al-Assad and spoke about her role in the growing anti-government protests.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13747761
Note: 13 June 2011 Last updated at 09:19 GMT