By Michael Sheridan

 

An outspoken lesbian blogger in Syria, where homosexuality is illegal, was reportedly snatched off the streets of Damascus on Monday, sparking concerns about her safety. Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari began her blog, "A Gay Girl in Damascus," earlier this year. It consists of erotic poems and frank discussions about the Middle East nation's anti-regime uprising, which she claimed to participate in.

 

 

Originally published by Daily News

 

Her cousin, Rania Ismail, wrote on the blog Monday that the 35-year-old was "seized by three men in their early 20s."

 

"According to the witness [who does not want her identity known], the men were armed," she wrote. "Amina hit one of them and told the friend to go find her father."

 

Ismail said one of the men put a hand over Araf's mouth and "hustled her into a red Dacia Logan."

 

"The men are assumed to be members of one of the security services or the Baath Party militia," she wrote. "Amina's present location is unknown, and it is unclear if she is in a jail or being held elsewhere in Damascus."

 

Araf, who has written she was born in Virginia, described herself in a blog post as "many things" a day before being detained.

 

"I am an Arab, I am Syrian, I am a woman, I am queer, I am Muslim, I am binational, I am tall, I am too thin; my sect is Sunni, my clan is Omari, my tribe is Quraysh, my city is Damascus," she wrote.

 

Araf told CNN in May she had gone into hiding after thwarting two previous attempts to abduct her. In April, two plainclothes security agents came to her home to detain her and were convinced to leave by her father.

 

Since her abduction, her family has been struggling to find out where she is, but have gotten no response from officials.

 

"If anyone knows anything as to her whereabouts, please contact Abdallah al Omari at his home or please email me... at onepathtogod@gmail.com," Ismail wrote.

 

Since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's autocratic rule began in mid-March, a government crackdown has left about 1,300 people dead and more than 10,000 detained, according to human rights groups.

 

Several activists who were briefly detained during the revolt said they were tortured, humiliated and forced to sign pledges to avoid anti-regime activities.

 

"We are hoping she is simply in jail and nothing worse has happened to her," Ismail wrote.