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220 Comments
- ajamer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+111Syrian American digger here and let me just say many of you guys have a warped understanding of the area. In all honesty, Syria is safer than your typical American city. Internet access is prevalent, and access to prepaid GSM SIM cell phone cards is easy.
Your best bet is to contact the Canadian embassy and maybe they can tell you if she's crossed the border into Turkey.
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/syria/contact-en.asp
Street Address
Lot 12, Autostrade Mezzeh
Damascus, Syria
Postal Address
The Canadian Embassy
PO Box 3394
Damascus, Syria
Telephone: (011 963 11) 611-6692
Fax: (011 963 11) 611-4000
Email Addresses
* General Inquiries: dmcus@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
The Syrian police are actually top notch. My cousin was kidnapped a few months ago (yes, I said there is very little crime and I stick by that, this was a crazy case) as he is the son of a very wealthy merchant. The kidnappers pretended to be Iraqis and demanded 450,000 Euros as payment.
Long story short, the Syrian police have audio recordings of EVERY phone call in the country and were able to figure out that it was my relatives business associate behind it all. When the heat was on, they tried to dump the kid off a highway, but every body in Syria had heard his story.
My relative threw a big party for his son's safe return and invited the business associate who kidnapped him. In a Count of Monte Cristo type revenge plot, he was black bagged by the police and will probably be executed along with the other gangsters.
If she was close to the Turkish border, you might want to contact the Canadian Consulate in Aleppo (the 2nd biggest city in Syria, and on the border) - kenvsryu, on 10/12/2007, -21/+121try these coordinates: 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
- kidhero, on 10/12/2007, -33/+111@junkalam:
hey *****, syria is over 75% arab and muslim in one sectarian form or another. good thing your enlightened ass knows so much about geography. - masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+60The presumption is that someone viewing this
A.) Is currently in Syria, viewing digg
B.) Knows someone in Syria that they can tell to check the local news. - inspecality, on 10/12/2007, -26/+81If I ever go to a third-world country, I'm taking John McCain. He'll protect me.
- Vienneau, on 10/12/2007, -2/+56Hi Everyone, this is Nicole's brother Matthew. It's my blog that this is linked to.
I do appreciate everyone's comments - even the nasty ones. Some were even rather amusing.
My hopes in attempting this is to use the power of large groups of people. The more people I reach, the more likely I'll find someone who has relatives in the area, or has recently travelled the area, or has ideas that we haven't though of, or whatever. It's like networking to get a job, but on a much bigger scale. Unfortunately, as several of you have pointed out, the Internet is much more of a Western world/North American thing than a Syrian thing, but I can only work with the tools I have.
I appreciate people raising the profile of the article so that more people notice it. And if you want to offer any private advice or suggestions, I can be reached at mattv99@hotmail.com.
As for travelling Syria - it's not as bad as many of you seem to believe, especially for Canadians. Violent crime is much lower than in the West, for example. While there are definitely risks, at this point I'm much more suspicious that there was a car accident or something similarly mundane than anything exotic like a terrorist kidnapping. Quite frankly, if I could just reach someone in Damascus who could ask around at the various hospitals, that would be a great help, though I'm hoping the Canadian government has already done that.
Keep on commenting!
Matt - kushed, on 10/12/2007, -6/+48I am sure she was aware of the risks, she took the challenge but this adventure had a unfortunate ending. Hopefully she is ok and returns home to tell the storry.
- crocodilexp, on 10/12/2007, -6/+44@pyroskank
You'd be surprised at how some places portrayed as hellholes in the media can actually be quite nice to travel in, with welcoming locals very eager to talk to foreigners and make friends. Laos, for instance, is a very interesting destination with friendly locals -- despite being a communist hellhole (after being bombed into stone age by the U.S. during the Vietnam war).
This said, you do have a point - being a single, young female traveler in a middle-eastern country is not really wise. It is a matter of time before something bad happens. Makes you wonder what she learned in all her long travels.
Of course, I hope she emerges alive and well eventually. - StillGaming, on 10/12/2007, -10/+47Way to go. Let's ***** bring politics into this, why don't we?
- Aliarse, on 10/12/2007, -16/+51I'm going to start up Google Earth right now.
Give me 1 hr and i will have found her. - tjex, on 10/12/2007, -3/+33Can't you people put your idiotic coments to the side and try to help for once? Stuff happens all over the world!
I seriously can't believe how insensitive some of you are and how childish you come across as. - DeskFlyer, on 10/12/2007, -5/+35I hope your sister turns up OK.
Dugg. - shrs27, on 10/12/2007, -4/+34i hope that she is ok.
- qubed, on 10/12/2007, -1/+30I've got several friends in Syria after travelling there a couple of months ago. Beautiful country, really amazing. We went all over the country and the people were so friendly to my wife & I who had come all the way from Australia. Will definately email them the link now, hope she is okay.
- biuku, on 10/12/2007, -17/+42omg, i read the top 10 comments on digg and want to throw up. listen all Americans ... it is normal to travel in what you call "third world" countries ... that's how you learn to not bomb them. that's what the outside world does.
she's in trouble and needs help, not some brutal hatred or ignorance about what thickets may lie beyond the shire. - rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -3/+28Wow, you all have never had anything utterly terrifying happen to you all, have you? If you had, you would know that even something as seemingly illogical as posting on digg can make you feel a bit better, hoping against hope that someone SOMEWHERE will have heard something.
- flxfxp, on 10/12/2007, -12/+37How is the digg community supposed to help? Should we all look on Google earth?
- Vienneau, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23Check the length of the blog (it's mine). Google me to verify my credibility - Matthew Vienneau. I'm her brother (and real). It's not fake.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -12/+33Quick everyone! To the Diggmobile! Nothing like contacting the authorities when Digg can solve everything!
- Aliarse, on 10/12/2007, -10/+29Way to steal my thunder, kenvsryu.
My Google Earth comment was a future classic, but as usual, someone always has to go one better. - stevenvh, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23"I say fake. Sorry, something about it doesn't ring true to me."
LIKE WHAT!!???
- Syria doesn't even exist. It's a made up country like Kazakhstan and Australia
- You can't backpack that far from home. Your backpack will disintegrate
- Nobody ever went missing. Ever.
- Nicole. Now I ask you. Does that sound like a person's name? Huh? HUH!!?? - ajamer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20Syria is nothing like Palestine. I've heard more gun fire on the south side of Chicago than in Syria
- mobislink, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Diggers are a pretty insensitive bunch. Regardless of what drives someone to travel to a 3rd world country he is asking for help. Posting this story here on the slight chance that someone from Syria may have seen her or can provide information. It is very unlikely but when someone you love is missing you try anything possible.
What can we do? Simply dig the story so it gets as much visibility as possible and maybe a comment of hope.
Some of the comments here are heartless. Just think if it was your little sister or you mom. How would you feel if someone said nonchalantly, "she was probably raped". - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20Diggers sure know how to overuse a joke to the point of patheticness.
- estvir, on 10/12/2007, -8/+24"To the Diggmobile!"
I see a Photoshop competition coming up. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17anonymity is amazing isn't it guys? wow, this digg article has really brought out the worst i've have ever seen in the digg community. kind of makes me ashamed to be involved in a community with such a high ***** ratio.
Tjex, in case you do read all of this and make it down here, hope you find solace no matter the outcome.
"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live." Robert Kennedy. - ajamer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18@railsroad
I wanted to demonstrate how paranoid the Syrian government is right now about the crap in Iraq spreading spilling over into Syria. With Syria taking on more than 1,000,000 refugees, there is a definite threat that a few criminals made it through. Other than the story above, the only other crime I heard about was at a LAN center between 2 Counter Strike teams and after one player smacked his friend next to him for screwing up. It resulted in internal bleeding and the guy died. - Flimnit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18The more people that share this story the better chance that the media will pick it up. This is how Diggers can help...tell everyone you know.
- Vienneau, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17@ajamer
We're working with Foreign Affairs and presumably all the various Syrian Consulates have been contacted and are the lookout. The RCMP (Canadian police) have contacted Interpol as well. - mehau, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17Dear Digg,
Speaking as someone who has had a family member go missing, some of your comment are absolutely unnecessary, ignorant and prejudiced. Would it be so hard to treat this story with a little respect for once and refrain from spouting your wiki-expertise but instead try to help?
I have been to Iran, Nepal, Eritrea and even Iraq (during Saddam's dictatorship). Why would a girl travel to all these places on her own? Because she actually cares about the world enough to want to see it with her own eyes. Because she is not naive enough to buy into the commonly shared, media-fueled fear. And finally, because if you read a travel book instead of watching CNN and take a few basic steps to respect the local culture no one will kidnap or murder you, but instead you will meet some very friendly and intelligent people and LEARN something about the world.
Many of you seem to think that every Muslim in the Middle East is a terrorist braying for your blood and you have the nerve to call this girl stupid. This is a sickening example of how successful your brainwashing has been. You do not question the information that is spoon fed to you anymore, yet you dare to criticize this girl who is infinitely more courageous and intelligent than you are. Not only that, you have the nerve to write your malicious little comment without sparing even a single thought for the girl's family. You are a pathetic example of a human being.
I suggest you do something else - help. Digg up this story, spread the word on other similar sites. Post on your favorite message boards and forums, you never who's reading. People in Syria have computers too you know... Do SOMETHING for this girl and her family, but for once in your life refrain from trying to write the most dugg-up funny one-liner. Have some empathy and you will feel just that little bit better about yourself.
Thank you. - kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15theres drugs and money and weapons being moved in almost every ***** country.. The world has always been dangerous. blah blah blah.
Have you even been to Syria. Most Syrians are freaking whiter than christmas..
BTW Syria isn't any more dangerous than Turkey... And trust me tons of tourist pour into these places. And many tourist goto Iran, and many many tourist goto Cuba. - everlast88, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17some of you are such douche bags, this man is requesting your help and so many of you are just going "well, she shouldn't have gone to syria", I'll get some important people i know (sorry, i cant name names) to spread the word
- jacketdesplash, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14So many of these comments are just hilarious. Syria really isn't a third world country. It really isn't particularly dangerous. Women travelling alone is not a recipe for disaster. Not all islamic countries are in any way risky for westerners to visit (take morocco, a very safe country, for example).
You need to get out more!
More importantly, I hope she is found safe and sound. - assholepundit, on 10/12/2007, -13/+26I have checked Stormwind, Ironforge and Darnassus, but have found no sign. If you guys can check out Orgrimmor, then we can meet up in Thunderbluff and plan the search of Underworld. I didn't read the whole article, this is a level 25 hunter we're looking for here, right?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18Imagine the world wide headlines if we find her, "DiggersFinds Missing Girl, world says 'dugg'".
Seriously, maybe we diggers can unite for a good cause, who's with me? - ajamer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12also, don't put too much weight in a lack of credit card history as only touristy places (big hotels) will accept them. I was in Syria last summer, and ATMs were just starting to be rolled out. I don't know if they're on the Cirrus network. Most people exchange cash on the gray market (a jewelery shop or something)
Also, if she ever took a bus between cities, she would have had to register and write her name in a log book. That's a good place to ask the police to check. - zombiedepot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Good luck on finding your sister. Keep us updated.
- userini, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13I have been born and raised in a third world country, and I would never in hell recommend for someone from the west to go backpacking around where I'm from. In most third world countries, people automatically assume that if you're from the west, you're rich. Even if the motive is not robbery, a person from the west might get hurt or killed simply out of sheer anger and jealousy of the local populace. And I'm not even mentioning that she (most likely) was not Muslim, and thus, a non-believer.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12I agree that something bad might have happened to her. But, lets try to be civil, and if anyone on the site is in Syria, or has access to resources in the country then lets help. Not all of us are heartless on this site. My company doesn't have any contacts in the country, but I would be willing to help fund anyone that does have some contacts. Check my profile for contact info.
- datalife, on 10/12/2007, -7/+17If there are any diggers in Syria, go outside and look!!
- matthewmok, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I have been to Syria and found it to be surprisingly very "Western". The people were friendly, accommodations clean and the city of Damascus was far cleaner than Paris. I also felt very safe there. Safer than I have felt in most big cities of the U.S., Mexico, S. America, or Europe. Now that is not to say there are not dangers. But I mention my experience only in that she could have been harmed in any number of places in the world just as readily. Just because she was in Syria does not mean her chances were increased. I also always traveled with a companion and I am not female; IF I were female I would certainly always travel with a companion. When you travel with a companion or two the chances of venturing into harm is far less no matter where you are and such exotic trips can be done with a lot of safety.
I hope she is o.k. and she turns up... - ynggrsshppr, on 10/12/2007, -18/+27I'm not sure what a bunch of people sitting in front of their computers can do for a missing person in Syria. I don't believe in prayer so that is out of the question. Being kind and saying words of comfort seem silly as well. What to do.
- ICSU, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15I was in Syria some years ago with my friends backpacking and it was awesome. Friendly people, low prices, nice places to visit.
Crime is very low there, almost non-existent. I am afraid this case only helps to strengthen Americans' irrational paranoia.
And yes, we did have women with us and are all white and looking "Western". - rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9How exactly is he hurting her? In these situations, there is not a lot more that a person can do but sit and wait. So he lets the internet in on the situation - in my mind the psychological benefit he will get from feeling that he is doing something is worth the time and effort it took for me to sit in my safe house and read the piece.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13You underestimate the power of digg.
- reddevil3, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15I love how all the diggers started bashing the "Islamist" countries. RTFA, they traveled through multiple MidEast countries and *GASP* enjoyed the places!
- vmars, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9@ Runningboard - You are 100% on the mark.
"The Digg Community" ?????? I feel sick reading some of the posts in here. This is no community. There are some real selfish, callous people in here - I am in shock at the level of disrespect shown. Please let's do our best to spread the story and help a family / Digg member in need. Well done for posting -this story is welcome on the Digg Front Page and we hope we can help. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+16Diggers would be glad to help, but the only problem is we don't leave our computers. We eat, sleep, and die on digg.
- jlhoben, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11Hope you find her.
- kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8anyone that is researching current events through the net and other methods are ten steps ahead of the mainstream. I think people underestimate just how ill informed the mainstream is.
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