Jacpher Posted March 7, 2008 Model, rights campaigner missing BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Waris Dirie, a former model turned women's rights campaigner, has gone missing in Brussels, her manager said Friday. She has not been seen since the early hours of Wednesday morning, when police saw her getting into a taxi after a mix-up over a hotel room, Walter Lutschinger said in a telephone interview. "We are really very scared," he said, adding that nothing similar had happened in the seven years in which he has been her manager. Somali-born Dirie gained international fame as a model posing in Chanel ads and acting in a James Bond film before launching her campaign against female genital mutilation in 1996. She recounted her own experiences of such treatment as a child in the book "Desert Flower," which became an international best-seller. Dirie's disappearance came a week after French police said they had found the body of another former model of African origin who had campaigned against female genital mutilation. Guinean-born Katoucha Niane was discovered floating in the River Seine in Paris. The French police said an autopsy showed no signs of foul play, raising the possibility that she may have fallen accidentally into the river. Belgian police have launched an official missing persons appeal for Dirie, asking the public for information. The police, who gave her name as Waris Dahir Jones, said the 43-year-old was last seen outside a luxury hotel in downtown Brussels. They said she was wearing brown pants, a violet hat and a black-and-white poncho-style jacket. They said they were also looking for the taxi driver who took her from the area between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Dirie, who now lives in Vienna, was due to speak to two conferences on women's rights organized by the European Union in Brussels this week, including one Thursday attended by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Lutschinger said Dirie had been involved in an altercation in a hotel reception area after a taxi driver took her to the wrong branch of the Sofitel hotel chain following a visit to a night club. The police were called and drove Dirie around Brussels looking for the correct hotel because she had apparently forgotten where she was staying. At one hotel, while staff and police were checking for her name on a computer, Lutschinger said police told him that Dirie walked out and climbed into a taxi that drove away. He said hotel staff told him Dirie had said she was going to buy cigarettes. Lutschinger said he thought she was carrying little money and no identification documents or cell phone when she vanished. As far as he knew, she had no friends in Brussels -- a city Lutschinger said she had only visited once before. "No telephone calls, nothing; she disappeared and we have no idea what happened to her," he said. "We don't know if she had money because actually she doesn't take money, or has little money with her, because we are always traveling with her." EU officials said they had expressed concern when she did not show up Thursday at the conference and had been in touch with the police, but they had not had any news of Dirie's whereabouts. Dirie is an Austrian citizen. "Our embassy in Brussels is in close cooperation with the Brussels police and state prosecutor ... they are trying to clarify the situation," said Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, a spokesman for Austria's Foreign Ministry in Vienna. The U.N. office in Brussels said they had no information about where she might be. Dirie was due to travel to the Netherlands to receive an award for her campaigning on Friday in the town of Kerkrade. Dirie's description of how she had to endure having her genitals sliced off with a dirty razor blade without anesthesia, and then stitched together, shocked a world that knew her from glossy fashion magazine covers, Chanel perfume ads and her role in "The Living Daylights," a 1987 James Bond film. She chronicled her own experience in "Desert Flower" and three sequels, "Desert Dawn," "Desert Children" and "Nomad's Daughter." She served as a U.N. goodwill ambassador to fight the practice. "There are millions of children -- young, hopeless, desperate -- who need help, a voice, somebody, somewhere," she told The Associated Press in a 2005 interview. Source: CNN Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Che -Guevara Posted March 7, 2008 Ilaahay ha nabad keyno Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZanzi Posted March 7, 2008 A spokesman for the local prosecutor's office said she had been found in Brussels on Friday afternoon, but he could give no immediate information on where she had been since she went missing or on her physical state. The Belga news agency reported that Dirie had been found "safe and sound". [/QB] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faarax-Brawn Posted March 7, 2008 Folks,She is doing OK. Got news that she was found alive. She just got lost,L0L. Lutschinger said Dirie had been involved in an altercation in a hotel reception area after a taxi driver took her to the wrong branch of the Sofitel hotel chain after a visit to a night club. The police were called and drove Dirie around Brussels looking for the correct hotel because she had she apparently forgotten where she was staying My Source ^How Embarrassing is this? You dont even know where the ckf you are staying? Especially after a night out? Drunk? i say? High on Meth perhaps? Snot? Who knows!! Glad she is doing OK though,Shes a good woman,i like Waris. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lidia Posted March 7, 2008 ^^ The article said that she was new to the city and it was night, so anyone would have gotten lost in an unfamiliar city during the evening. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LayZie G. Posted March 7, 2008 Ilaahay ha nabad keyno Che, illaah waxaan kaaga baryaa, inuu gargaarnimo dhaqso kula kulmiyo with afkaaga hooyo. Waan ku baryaa@che, stop butchering the language. "Ilaahay ha Nabad keeno" not "keyno" not in reference to Kenya, as farax B can relate to. Farax B Drunk? i say? High on Meth perhaps? Snot? Who knows!! I didn't appreciate that comment, nor did I find it humorous@mr mugshot, prison tag# 1245356. Waxa ay sameyso, ayada aa isku sameyso Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chimera Posted March 7, 2008 I'm happy they found her, but these Supermodels are the most unhappy individuals on the planet, there 50 years old and still clubbing,sniffing cocaine, suicide tendencies it's crazy for real. It's like me becoming a model who clubs day in day out, babbies everywhere and at the age of 50 still doing what i did when i was 25, how messed up is that? no peacefull stable home,no repentance, no family, no culture no nothing, just used and abused and always trying to stay in the limelight as the lights begin to dim Yasmin Warsame on the other hand is magic, she has a strong connection with her community on multiple levels, has a stable family life, doesn't need controversy to be in the spotlight Yasmin Warsame Born in Somalia and now living in Toronto, 24-year-old Yasmin puts family first. Never mind late nights with the gals at Bungalow 8. her favorite diversions are snowboarding and skating with her 4 year-old son Hamzah. “He’s my little prince. He keeps me grounded,” says Yasmin. i want to be her slave. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faynuus Posted March 7, 2008 Woow Adan. We have to tell she has an admirer. Glad waris is found, but shame, she is too old to do such ****** things now. But, i love her work, very couragious woman. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cynical lady Posted March 7, 2008 Ilaahay ha nabad keyno che- i almost believe you! :rolleyes: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faarax-Brawn Posted March 7, 2008 Drunk? i say? High on Meth perhaps? Snot? Who knows!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I didn't appreciate that comment, nor did I find it humorous@mr mugshot, prison tag# 1245356. Waxa ay sameyso, ayada aa isku sameyso L0L@prison tag number. Yareey, iga fuq nooh :0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar Posted March 8, 2008 Originally posted by Adam Zayla: Yasmin Warsame on the other hand is magic, she has a strong connection with her community on multiple levels, has a stable family life, doesn't need controversy to be in the spotlight quote: Yasmin Warsame Born in Somalia and now living in Toronto, 24-year-old Yasmin puts family first. Never mind late nights with the gals at Bungalow 8. her favorite diversions are snowboarding and skating with her 4 year-old son Hamzah. “He’s my little prince. He keeps me grounded,” says Yasmin. i want to be her slave. Yaasmiintaan waa naga bad badisee, do you want her #? I can get it for you nooh, heck even her address and her car's plate number in a day or so. Ma rabtaa? Soo sheego. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Che -Guevara Posted March 8, 2008 Originally posted by cynical lady: Ilaahay ha nabad keyno che- i almost believe you! :rolleyes: Xaasha Lazy....LoooooooooooL...you are turning into nitpicker yaakhee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cynical lady Posted March 8, 2008 what the hell is Xaasha? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites