What we know about Elizabeth Tsurkov
12 July 2023
Who is the Israeli military intelligence veteran who disappeared in Iraq and why was she there? Read more about What we know about Elizabeth Tsurkov
Gay Girl in Damascus blog
Whatever happened to Tom MacMaster, the "Gay Girl in Damascus" hoaxer?
29 December 2011
Last June The Electronic Intifada exposed the identity of the person behind the “Gay Girl in Damascus” hoax. The perpetrator was Tom MacMaster, a 40-year-old American graduate student at the University of Edinburgh. After an surge of media attention, MacMaster disappeared from the public eye. The University of Edinburgh promised to investigate. But what happened, and was MacMaster ever held accountable for a hoax that many believe caused genuine harm? Documents released by the University of Edinburgh under the UK’s Freedom of Information Act, reveal that not only was MacMaster allowed to stay on as a student, but that the university sought as much as possible to gag him while never publishing any results of its investigation.. Read more about Whatever happened to Tom MacMaster, the "Gay Girl in Damascus" hoaxer?
Ali Abunimah explains the Amina "Gay Girl in Damascus" hoax on France 24 Arabic channel
8 July 2011
In June, The Electronic Intifada revealed the true identity of the hoaxster behind “Amina Arraf,” the so-called “Gay Girl in Damascus” blogger. In an interview with France 24 Arabic’s program Aswat al-Shabaka, Ali Abunimah explains how the hoax was uncovered and why it was important to do so. Read more about Ali Abunimah explains the Amina "Gay Girl in Damascus" hoax on France 24 Arabic channel
Reflecting on the Amina hoax - coverage, analysis and investigation
16 June 2011
When we broke the story last Sunday of who was really behind the “Amina” the “Gay Girl in Damascus” blog, revealing it to be Tom MacMaster, an American graduate student living in Scotland, we knew it would get a lot of attention. But even we did not anticipate quite how broad the interest would be. Read more about Reflecting on the Amina hoax - coverage, analysis and investigation
New evidence about Amina, the "Gay Girl in Damascus" hoax
12 June 2011
Ali Abunimah and Benjamin Doherty have gathered compelling new evidence regarding the “Gay Girl in Damascus” blogger hoax. Read more about New evidence about Amina, the "Gay Girl in Damascus" hoax
Video: Israeli police wrestle US citizen to ground, put knee on his neck
9 June 2011
In this video which appears to have been shot on “Jerusalem Day” — marked this earlier this month by thousands of right-wing Israeli settlers who provocatively marched in Jerusalem — a young American Jew states his solidarity with the Palestinian people before being roughly arrested by Israeli police. Read more about Video: Israeli police wrestle US citizen to ground, put knee on his neck