Free Republic

A blog purportedly written by a gay woman in Syria, which described life in Damascas amid the current political unrest, has been revealed to be a hoax. A Girl Gay in Damascus gained a worldwide readership and was closely followed by news organisations. But the true author has now come forward - Tom MacMaster, an American man studying in Scotland. Many Syrian activists have reacted angrily, accusing him of trivialising or even harming their cause. "One day if I'm kidnapped by my government, many readers won't care because I could turn out to be another Amina," wrote one Lebanese blogger....

...“Paula Brooks,” editor of Lez Get Real since its founding in 2008, is actually Bill Graber, 58, who said he is a retired Ohio military man and construction worker that had adopted his wife’s identity online... Brooks’s identity came under suspicion after news broke that a woman called Amina Arraf on the blog “A Gay Girl in Damascus” might not really be a Syrian lesbian. Over the weekend, as journalists, bloggers and fans of Amina hunted for clues to the identity behind the blog, Brooks came under review as a possible suspect. Liz Henry, a Web producer at BlogHer.com, questioned...

Yes. I am new to this website and was wondering why my account was banned? I posted an article I wrote about how Buddhism not Islam is a threat to America and is the fastest growing religion instead of Islam. I noted how Buddhism denies the existence of God and the divinity of Christ, I also made note of how Buddhists practice an evil satanic ceremony called doku. It is a ritual where Buddhist monks use a doku drum made of the hide of a white christian baby to conjure up demons for human sacrifice. Using three fingers they beat...

My son was taken from me when he was only 2 months old because I supposedly "worshiped the devil" in front of him. I am an atheiest. I don't even belive in the devil. It ruined my life and at the same time opened up a whole new world of horror stories from other parents. How our government is walking all over the rules they put in place to protect us and how our civil rights are violated each and everyday. EVERYONE especailly those with families should be aware of this!!! Please visit my sites and sign my petition to...

Brethren Agree to Revive 'Alternative Service' Draft Programs By Kevin Eckstrom Religion News Service Leaders of the Church of the Brethren say they will follow through on a request from the Selective Service to have "alternative service" programs in place for conscientious objectors if a draft is reinstated. As one of the historic "peace churches" that shun military service, Brethren officials were "cautious" after an unannounced visit by a draft official to a church center in Maryland last October. Officials were worried that the visit signaled that a draft may be at hand. In follow-up meetings, draft officials urged the...

Add actor Dustin Hoffman to the list of celebrities denouncing President Bush for his Iraq policy and arguing it's all about oil. After winning a lifetime achievement honor last week at the Empire Film Awards in London, the British news service Ananova quoted Hoffman as accusing the Bush administration of "manipulating the grief of the country" after the events of September 11 and charging that "this war is about what most wars are about: hegemony, money, power and oil." In his "Best of the Web" column for OpinionJournal.com (www.OpinionJournal.com/best ), James Taranto on Friday highlighted the story in Ananova, a...

Dustin Hoffman used his appearance at this year's Empire film awards to launch an angry attack on President Bush's pending war with Iraq. "I don't think, like many of us, that the reasons we have been given for going to war are the honest reasons," the veteran actor told reporters. "I believe... that this war is about what most wars are about: hegemony, money, power and oil." Hoffman went on to claim that he felt that the Bush administration was "manipulating the grief of the country" in the wake of September 11. "I think that's reprehensible," he added. Hoffman was...

Hoffman blasts Bush's war plans Dustin Hoffman has become the latest US star to voice his opposition to war with Iraq. Dustin Hoffman arrives for the Empire Film Awards /PA Hoffman accused the Bush administration of "manipulating the grief of the country" after the events of September 11. The president's real motives for going to war are power and oil, he said. He spoke out after receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Empire Film Awards in London. "For me as an American, the most painful aspect of this is that I believe that that administration has taken the events...

Hoffman accused the Bush administration of "manipulating the grief of the country" after the events of September 11. The president's real motives for going to war are power and oil, he said. He spoke out after receiving a lifetime achievement accolade at the Empire Film Awards in London. "For me as an American, the most painful aspect of this is that I believe that administration has taken the events of 9/11 and has manipulated the grief of the country and I think that's reprehensible," he said. "I don't think, like many of us, that the reasons we have been given...

Dustin Hoffman has become the latest US star to voice his opposition to war with Iraq.