The photos purported to be of her were proven to be a Croatian woman residing in Britain with no relation to Syria, the blog, or the ongoing protests in the country. On June 7, 2011, author/blogger Liz Henry, Andy Carvin (a journalist with National Public Radio in Washington, D.C.) and others raised doubts about the identity of the blogger. In the wake of the reports, questions arose regarding the possibility that Arraf al Omari was an elaborate hoax. This sparked a strong outcry from the LGBT community and was covered widely in mainstream media. During the 2011 Syrian uprising, a posting on the blog purportedly by 'Amina's' cousin claimed that Amina was abducted on June 6, 2011.
The identity was presented as a Syrian-American blogger, identifying herself as a lesbian, and blogging in support of increased civil and political freedom for Syrians. A Gay Girl In Damascus was a weblog purportedly by Amina Abdallah Arraf al Omari who was in fact a fictional character and hoax persona created and maintained by American Tom MacMaster.
