Detained Gay Syrian Blogger a Hoax?

After reports by numerous news outlets that Syrian blogger Amina Abdallah Arraf, author of the blog A Gay Girl in Damascus, was missing after seen being abducted by armed men in central Damascus, NPR’s Andy Carvin has come out to question whether Arraf is indeed real. Carvin, an expert in debunking Internet rumors, said that none of the reports of Arraf’s arrest were written by journalists who had previously interviewed Arraf, and that he couldn’t find anyone who’s met the blogger in person. The one person who has identified herself as a personal friend of Arraf’s, Sandra Bagaria, has said she’s never actually met her, and to Carvin’s knowledge, all of Arraf’s interviews have been conducted via email.