- Amina Arraf - Syrian American Blogger Kidnapped in Damascus
It's been a rough couple of weeks for hyphenated American Bloggers. Yesterday a popular Syrian American blogger, Amina Araf was kidnapped in Damascus. She was known for her honest posts about her sexuality and open criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad's autocratic rule. That follows the recent arrest about 2 weeks ago in Bangkok of Thai American blogger Joe Gordon who was arrested when he stepped off a plane. apparently one of his posts contained parts of a unathorized biography called, The King Never Smiles, which is about a Thai King that was banned in Thailand because he was critical of the monarchy there. If Joe is found guilty he will be facing between 2 - 14 years in a Thai prison, that's brutal.
So as a Greek American Blogger I need to think of safety first as I write my blogs in wake of bloggers coming under attack and persecution. I need to look right and left before I click post. I need to have a safety word (just in case). I moved a can of mace next to my lap top. Oh, who am I kidding? No one wants to kidnap me. I am pretty sure my blog, Ava Aston's Muckery is totally immune for making me a target of arrest or kidnapping. Not sure anyone really cares about me swapping out winter clothes with summer clothes, all of the muckery my four dogs have gotten into, the road trip I took with my Aunt Iris and Ted Williams' head, the incompetence of my manager Mr. Bricks or how many cups of coffee I drank today. Somehow topics like those don't seem like they would make me the epicenter of an international incident involving another hyphenated American blogger.
The one thing both Joe and Amina had in common about their blogs was that they both spoke openly about politics of their country. And so far, except for a few goat jokes, I have not been critical about Greece. Now oddly enough, it was Mr. Bricks who has always insisted that I keep my blog free of politics. Hmmm, maybe the McRib loving, diet coke guzzling, lazy eyed Mr. Bricks just saved my life. Who knows?
But then I was thinking... if I was arrested or if I was kidnapped, what a great platform that could possibly be for my music and for my blog numbers. I am sure my new publicist Tiana could help spin it into something positive for me. I am kinda liking this idea. I know if I did become an international incident the headlines would be all over the place:
Greek Blonde Girl Goes Missing
No wait, I can't use that headline because then people will just think I lost my noggin and I can't find my way back home.
Greek American Blogger Sings Jail House Blues
No, I don't want that as a headline either. There is just something creepy to me about using the word Sing and Jail in the same sentence. Maybe I watched too many prison movies as a little girl. But, if a headline says Greek American Blogger Sings at House of Blues, now I would be all over that one, just sayin'.
Greek Blogger Kidnapped At Gun Point and Returned 15 Minutes Later
If the bandits read my blog before they kidnapped me I think they might realize how high maintenance Greek Girls are and that I would end of talking them to death and what a poor choice of a kidnap target I actually was. I am confident after a few minutes they would realize their mistake and return me.
Or my favorite possible headline is...
Greek Girl's Music Goes Gold and Her Blog Goes Viral
Just as long as the next sentence wasn't ... after her discarded body was found stuffed into a dumpster behind a McDonald's in Manhattan.
Although I am having a little fun here we must never forget the serious nature of what has happened to Joe and Amina. We should never be persecuted for our speech. I ask you all to continue to pray with me for both Amina and Joe, as all of us bloggers are in this together. I have made so many friends by blogging. My heart truly goes out to both of these fellow bloggers and for their families.
Blessings,
Ava
xox
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