Difference between revisions of "Asma al-Assad"

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|image=Asma_Queen.jpg
 
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|image_caption=[[Asma al-Assad]] meets the [[Elizabeth Windsor
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|image_caption=[[Asma al-Assad]] meets the [[Elizabeth Windsor|Queen]] at Buckingham Palace in December 2002
|Queen]] at Buckingham Palace in December 2002=
 
 
|constitutes=First Lady of Syria
 
|constitutes=First Lady of Syria
 
|birth_date=11 August 1975
 
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|nationality=British, Syrian
 
|nationality=British, Syrian
 
|children=3
 
|children=3
|parents=Fawaz Akhras, (father) Sahar Otri (mother)
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|parents=Fawaz Akhras, Sahar Otri
 
|employment={{job
 
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|title=First Lady of Syria
 
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'''Asma al-Assad''' is the British wife of the [[President of Syria]], [[Bashar al-Assad]], whom she married in December 2000.<ref>''[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/how-did-shy-middle-class-emma-681292 "How did shy middle class Emma from Acton end up married to Syria's tyrant? Amazing story of Asma Al-Assad"]''</ref>
 
'''Asma al-Assad''' is the British wife of the [[President of Syria]], [[Bashar al-Assad]], whom she married in December 2000.<ref>''[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/how-did-shy-middle-class-emma-681292 "How did shy middle class Emma from Acton end up married to Syria's tyrant? Amazing story of Asma Al-Assad"]''</ref>
  
As a result of the ongoing terrorist insurgency in [[Syria]], economic sanctions have been imposed on Asma al-Assad, making it illegal in the [[European Union]] (EU) to provide her with certain material assistance, for her to obtain certain products, and curtailing her ability to travel within the EU, excluding the [[United Kingdom]] where she is a citizen.<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/assad-s-british-wife-targeted-by-eu-as-annan-pursues-talks-on-ceasefire-1-2194030 "Assad's British wife targeted by EU as Annan pursues talks on ceasefire"] Saturday, 24 March 2012, ''The Scotsman''</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8503481/Is-Asma-Assad-in-London.html |title=Is Asma Assad in London? |work=The Telegraph |first=Nabila |last=Ramdani |date=10 May 2011 |accessdate=11 May 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611144310/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8503481/Is-Asma-Assad-in-London.html |archivedate=11 June 2011  |deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9149223/Bashar-al-Assads-wife-could-face-two-year-prison-term-for-sanctions-busting-after-shopping-spree.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=David |last=Blair |date=16 March 2012 |title=Bashar al Assad's wife 'could face two-year prison term' for sanctions busting after shopping spree}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17483714 |publisher=BBC News |date=23 March 2012 |title=Syria crisis: EU sanctions on Asma al-Assad}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9162194/Syria-Asma-al-Assad-hit-with-EU-sanctions.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=23 March 2012 |title=Syria: Asma al-Assad hit with EU sanctions}}</ref><ref name="Walker2012">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/20/assad-wife-face-eu-sanctions |work=The Guardian |first=Peter |last=Walker |date=20 March 2012 |title=Assad's wife to face EU sanctions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910094500/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/20/assad-wife-face-eu-sanctions |archive-date=10 September 2015 |dead-url=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304724404577299000830390154 |work=The Wall Street Journal |first1=Frances |last1=Robinson |first2=Laurence |last2=Norman |date=24 March 2012 |title=EU Targets Bashar al-Assad's Wife With New Sanctions |subscription=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/syrias-stylish-ladys-shopping-sprees-now-hit-sanctions/story?id=15976684 |publisher=ABC News |first=Alexander |last=Marquardt |date=23 March 2012 |title=Syria's Stylish First Lady's Shopping Sprees Now Hit By Sanctions}}</ref>
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As a result of the ongoing terrorist insurgency in [[Syria]], economic sanctions have been imposed on Asma al-Assad, making it illegal in the [[European Union]] (EU) to provide her with certain material assistance, for her to obtain certain products, and curtailing her ability to travel within the EU, excluding the [[United Kingdom]] where she is a citizen.<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/assad-s-british-wife-targeted-by-eu-as-annan-pursues-talks-on-ceasefire-1-2194030 "Assad's British wife targeted by EU as Annan pursues talks on ceasefire"] Saturday, 24 March 2012, ''The Scotsman''</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110611144310/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8503481/Is-Asma-Assad-in-London.html</ref><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9149223/Bashar-al-Assads-wife-could-face-two-year-prison-term-for-sanctions-busting-after-shopping-spree.html</ref><ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17483714 |publisher=BBC News </ref><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9162194/Syria-Asma-al-Assad-hit-with-EU-sanctions.html</ref><ref name="Walker2012">https://web.archive.org/web/20150910094500/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/20/assad-wife-face-eu-sanctions</ref><ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304724404577299000830390154</ref><ref>http://abcnews.go.com/International/syrias-stylish-ladys-shopping-sprees-now-hit-sanctions/story?id=15976684</ref>
  
 
==Born British==
 
==Born British==
Asma al-Assad was born Asma Akhras on 11 August 1975 in London to Fawaz Akhras, a cardiologist at the Cromwell Hospital, and his wife Sahar Akhras, a retired diplomat who served as First Secretary at the Syrian Embassy in London. Her parents are [[Sunni]] Muslims and of Syrian origin, hailing from the city of Homs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bar'el |first=Zvi |title=In Syria, the army's loyalty to Assad runs deep |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/in-syria-the-army-s-loyalty-to-assad-runs-deep-1.358310 |accessdate=17 July 2011 |newspaper=Haaretz |date=27 April 2011}}</ref> She grew up in Acton, London, where she went to Twyford Church of England High School and later a private girls' school, Queen's College, London.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/president-assads-wife-banned-from-europe-770546 |title=President Assad's wife banned from travelling to Europe... but not Britain |work=The Mirror |date=23 March 2012 |accessdate=17 July 2015}}</ref>
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Asma al-Assad was born Asma Akhras on 11 August 1975 in London to Fawaz Akhras, a cardiologist at the Cromwell Hospital, and his wife Sahar Akhras, a retired diplomat who served as First Secretary at the Syrian Embassy in London. Her parents are [[Sunni]] Muslims and of Syrian origin, hailing from the city of Homs.<ref>http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/in-syria-the-army-s-loyalty-to-assad-runs-deep-1.358310</ref> She grew up in Acton, London, where she went to Twyford Church of England High School and later a private girls' school, Queen's College, London.<ref>http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/president-assads-wife-banned-from-europe-770546 </ref>
  
Asma graduated from [[King's College London]] in 1996 with a first-class honours Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and a diploma in French literature.<ref>{{cite news |first=Oliver |last=Harvey |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2514525/Sexy-Brit-bringing-Syria-in-from-the-cold.html |title=Sexy Brit bringing Syria in from the cold |work=The Sun |date=3 July 2009 |accessdate=26 March 2011}}</ref> She speaks English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. She joined [[Deutsche Bank]] as an analyst in hedge-fund management and then moved to investment bank [[JPMorgan Chase|JP Morgan]], working in Paris, New York and London.<ref>{{cite web|url=//www.syrianembassy.us/first_lady.html |title=The First Lady |publisher=Embassy of Syria, Washington, D.C. |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521010308/http://www.syrianembassy.us/first_lady.html |archivedate=21 May 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/magazine/10SYRIA.html?pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times |first=James |last=Bennet |date=10 July 2005 |title=The Enigma of Damascus}}</ref> She quit her investment banking job following the wedding and remained in [[Syria]], where their three children were born. As First Lady she played a major role in implementing governmental organisations involved with social and economic development throughout the country as part of a reform initiative under Bashar's governance which was halted due to the rebel uprising in Syria.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ruiz de Elvira|first1=L.|last2=Zintl|first2=T.|title=The end of the Ba'athist social contract in Bashar al-Assad's Syria: reading sociopolitical transformations through charities and broader benevolent activism|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|date=2014|volume=46|issue=2|pages=329–349}}</ref>
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Asma graduated from [[King's College London]] in 1996 with a first-class honours Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and a diploma in French literature.<ref>http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2514525/Sexy-Brit-bringing-Syria-in-from-the-cold.html</ref> She speaks English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. She joined [[Deutsche Bank]] as an analyst in hedge-fund management and then moved to investment bank [[JPMorgan Chase|JP Morgan]], working in Paris, New York and London.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120521010308/http://www.syrianembassy.us/first_lady.html</ref><ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/magazine/10SYRIA.html?pagewanted=all</ref> She quit her investment banking job following the wedding and remained in [[Syria]], where their three children were born. As First Lady she played a major role in implementing governmental organisations involved with social and economic development throughout the country as part of a reform initiative under Bashar's governance which was halted due to the rebel uprising in Syria.
  
In 2021, the [[Metropolitan Police]] has launched an investigation into Asma. She now risks losing her British citizenship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/14/asma-al-assad-syria-risks-british-citizenship-loss-possible-terror-charges|title=Asma al-Assad risks loss of British citizenship as she faces possible terror charges |publisher=The Guardian |archive date=5 June 2021}}</ref>
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In 2021, the [[Metropolitan Police]] has launched an investigation into Asma. She now risks losing her British citizenship.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/14/asma-al-assad-syria-risks-british-citizenship-loss-possible-terror-charges</ref>
  
 
==First Lady==
 
==First Lady==
After [[Hafez al-Assad]]'s death in June 2000, Bashar took over the presidency.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Buck|first1=Joan Juliet|title=My Vogue interview with Syria's First Lady|url=http://www.newsweek.com/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-syrias-first-lady-65615|agency=Newsweek|publisher=Newsweek|date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> Asma moved to Syria in November 2000 and married Bashar in December of that year. The marriage surprised many since there had been no media reports of their dating and courtship prior to the wedding. Many interpreted the union as a reconciliation and sign of progression towards a reformative government as Asma grew up in the [[United Kingdom]] and represents the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] majority unlike the [[Alawites|Alawite]] Bashar.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jones|first1=L.|title=The European press views the Middle East|journal=The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|date=2001|volume=20|issue=2|page=33}}</ref>
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After [[Hafez al-Assad]]'s death in June 2000, Bashar took over the presidency.<ref>http://www.newsweek.com/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-syrias-first-lady-65615</ref> Asma moved to Syria in November 2000 and married Bashar in December of that year. The marriage surprised many since there had been no media reports of their dating and courtship prior to the wedding. Many interpreted the union as a reconciliation and sign of progression towards a reformative government as Asma grew up in the [[United Kingdom]] and represents the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] majority unlike the [[Alawites|Alawite]] Bashar.
 
 
After the wedding, Asma travelled throughout Syria to 100 villages in 13 of the 14 Syrian governorates to speak with Syrians and learn where she should direct her future policies.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bevan|first1=B.|title=Inheriting Syria: Bashar's trial by fire|journal=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|date=2005|volume=24|issue=5|pages=85–86}}</ref> She went on to create a collection of organisations that functioned under the charity sector of the government, referred to as the Syrian Trust for Development; the organisations include FIRDOS (rural micro-credit), SHABAB (business skills for youth), BASMA (helping children with cancer), RAWAFED (cultural development), the Syrian Organisation for the Disabled, and the Syrian Development Research Centre, aimed to target rural communities, economic development, disabled citizens, cultural development, and children's and women's development, respectively. Most well-known were the MASSAR centers she created, locations that functioned as community centers for children to learn active citizenship. Due to this work, she earned a spot as one of the ''Middle East 411 Magazine's'' "World's Most Influential Arabs".<ref>{{cite news|title=World's 50 most influential Arabs|agency=Middle East 411|issue=47|date=May 2010}}</ref>
 
  
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After the wedding, Asma travelled throughout Syria to 100 villages in 13 of the 14 Syrian governorates to speak with Syrians and learn where she should direct her future policies. She went on to create a collection of organisations that functioned under the charity sector of the government, referred to as the Syrian Trust for Development; the organisations include FIRDOS (rural micro-credit), SHABAB (business skills for youth), BASMA (helping children with cancer), RAWAFED (cultural development), the Syrian Organisation for the Disabled, and the Syrian Development Research Centre, aimed to target rural communities, economic development, disabled citizens, cultural development, and children's and women's development, respectively. Most well-known were the MASSAR centers she created, locations that functioned as community centers for children to learn active citizenship. Due to this work, she earned a spot as one of the ''Middle East 411 Magazine's'' "World's Most Influential Arabs".
 
===Public image===
 
===Public image===
Because of her reformative work, she was described by media analysts as an important part of the public relations effort of the Syrian government in her tenure as First Lady and was credited with taking progressive positions on women's rights and education.<ref>{{cite web |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/14/188236.html |title=Syria's First Lady Asma al‑Assad Falling from Grace |publisher=Al Arabiya |date=14 January 2012 |access-date=26 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209033645/http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/14/188236.html |archive-date=9 February 2012 |dead-url=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/25/world/meast/asma-al-assad-profile/index.html |title=Will Asma al-Assad take a stand or stand by her man? |publisher=CNN |date=25 December 2011 |accessdate=14 February 2012}}</ref> The [[United Nations Development Programme]] spent US$18 million to help organise a complex set of reform initiatives showing the Syrian government was working toward a more modern and progressive form of government, a key part of which was helping to create "a reformer's aura" for Assad, highlighting her participation in the Syrian Trust for Development until the programme was suspended as the country descended into civil war.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 September 2012 |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/20/before-assad-unleashed-violence-un-showcased-wife-asma-as-champion-reform/?test=latestnews |title=Before Assad unleashed violence, UN showcased wife Asma as a 'champion' of reform |first=George |last=Russell |publisher=Fox News |accessdate=21 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 October 2012 |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/10/08/un-sponsored-group-in-syria-included-assad-kin-cited-as-corrupt-by-us-documents |title=UN-sponsored group in Syria included Assad kin cited as corrupt by US, documents show |first=George |last=Russell |publisher=Fox News |accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> As a Sunni Muslim by birth, Assad's leading role was also important for the view of the Syrian government and President among the Sunni majority of Syria. Much of her modern day image involves public questioning about her role in Syria's governance alongside her husband, particularly in contrast to the programs she implemented within the country before the conflict; media reports include questions such as, "What are the chances that some of the thousands who have been killed, wounded, or imprisoned during the current unrest were involved in Massar, the organisation that she founded in 2005 to involve young people in active citizenship?" <ref>{{cite news|last1=Ramdani|first1=Nabila|title=The Gloss Has Worn Off|agency=New Statesman|date=May 23, 2011}}</ref> The following remark addresses such claims:
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Because of her reformative work, she was described by media analysts as an important part of the public relations effort of the Syrian government in her tenure as First Lady and was credited with taking progressive positions on women's rights and education.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120209033645/http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/14/188236.html</ref><ref>http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/25/world/meast/asma-al-assad-profile/index.html</ref> The [[United Nations Development Programme]] spent US$18 million to help organise a complex set of reform initiatives showing the Syrian government was working toward a more modern and progressive form of government, a key part of which was helping to create "a reformer's aura" for Assad, highlighting her participation in the Syrian Trust for Development until the programme was suspended as the country descended into civil war.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/20/before-assad-unleashed-violence-un-showcased-wife-asma-as-champion-reform/?test=latestnews</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/10/08/un-sponsored-group-in-syria-included-assad-kin-cited-as-corrupt-by-us-documents</ref> As a Sunni Muslim by birth, Assad's leading role was also important for the view of the Syrian government and President among the Sunni majority of Syria. Much of her modern day image involves public questioning about her role in Syria's governance alongside her husband, particularly in contrast to the programs she implemented within the country before the conflict; media reports include questions such as, "What are the chances that some of the thousands who have been killed, wounded, or imprisoned during the current unrest were involved in Massar, the organisation that she founded in 2005 to involve young people in active citizenship?" The following remark addresses such claims:
 
:She is said to be in favour of economic and technological reform, but there is very little information regarding her modes and areas of influence, or the extent to which she attempts to promote her ideas in the face of the opposition of other family members. Unlike Bashar’s mother, who rarely appeared in public, Asma has played a relatively prominent public role. However, there is no sign that Asma is involved in any of the wider consultations that Bashar holds with his advisors, belongs to any cliques within the regime, or has had any influence on non-domestic issues (such as [[Lebanon]] or the peace process with [[Israel]] (author=Shmuel Bar)
 
:She is said to be in favour of economic and technological reform, but there is very little information regarding her modes and areas of influence, or the extent to which she attempts to promote her ideas in the face of the opposition of other family members. Unlike Bashar’s mother, who rarely appeared in public, Asma has played a relatively prominent public role. However, there is no sign that Asma is involved in any of the wider consultations that Bashar holds with his advisors, belongs to any cliques within the regime, or has had any influence on non-domestic issues (such as [[Lebanon]] or the peace process with [[Israel]] (author=Shmuel Bar)
  
Since the terrorist uprising intensified in early 2012, the First Lady has been criticised for remaining silent.<ref>{{cite news |title=Syria's First Lady Asma al-Assad breaks her silence |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9065611/Syrias-First-Lady-Asma-al-Assad-breaks-her-silence.html |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=23 August 2012 |date=7 February 2012}}</ref> She issued her first official statement to the international media since the insurrection began in February 2012, nearly a year after the first serious protests.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/13/peter-goodspeed-the-glamorous-face-of-syrias-dictatorship |title=Asma al-Assad, the glamorous face of Syria's dictatorship |work=National Post |date=13 January 2012 |accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/world-politics/has-syrias-princess-diana-become-its-marie-antoinette/story-fn9hkofv-1226257230037 |title=Has Syria's Princess Diana become its Marie Antoinette? |first=Martin |last=Fletcher |work=The Australian |date=30 January 2012 |subscription=yes}}</ref> Also in February 2012, she sent an email to ''[[The Times]]'' stating:
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Since the terrorist uprising intensified in early 2012, the First Lady has been criticised for remaining silent.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9065611/Syrias-First-Lady-Asma-al-Assad-breaks-her-silence.html </ref> She issued her first official statement to the international media since the insurrection began in February 2012, nearly a year after the first serious protests.<ref>http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/13/peter-goodspeed-the-glamorous-face-of-syrias-dictatorship</ref><ref>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/world-politics/has-syrias-princess-diana-become-its-marie-antoinette/story-fn9hkofv-1226257230037</ref> Also in February 2012, she sent an email to ''[[The Times]]'' stating:
 
:"The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role."
 
:"The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role."
The communiqué also described her continued support for charities and rural development activities and related that she comforts the "victims of the violence".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/first-lady-breaks-silence-to-support-president-assad-20120207-1r59e.html |date=8 February 2012 |work=The Age |title=First lady breaks silence to support President Assad |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Asma al-Assad and the tricky role of the autocrat's wife |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16930738 |publisher=BBC |accessdate=23 August 2012 |date=8 February 2012}}</ref>  
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The communiqué also described her continued support for charities and rural development activities and related that she comforts the "victims of the violence".<ref>http://www.theage.com.au/world/first-lady-breaks-silence-to-support-president-assad-20120207-1r59e.html</ref><ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16930738</ref>  
  
On 23 March 2012, the [[European Union]] froze her assets and placed a travel ban on her and President Bashar al-Assad's other close family members as part of escalating sanctions against the Syrian government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Syria crisis: EU to put sanctions on Asma al-Assad |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17483714 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=23 March 2012 |date=23 March 2012}}[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/23/assad-family-blacklisted-eu-syria]</ref><ref>{{citation |mode=cs1 |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32012D0172 |title=Council Implementing Decision 2012/172/CFSP implementing Decision 2011/782/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria |work=Official Journal of the European Union |date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=http://webcitation.org/query?date=2015-11-26&url=http%3A%2F%2Feur-lex.europa.eu%2Flegal-content%2FEN%2FTXT%2FHTML%2F%3Furi%3DCELEX%3A32012D0172%26from%3DEN |archive-date=26 November 2015 |dead-url=no |publisher=The Council of the European Union |location=Brussels}}</ref> Asma al-Assad herself remains able to travel to the UK because of her British citizenship but is banned from entering the rest of the EU.<ref>{{cite web |title=Assad's relatives face asset freeze and travel ban as EU steps up sanctions |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/23/assads-eu-sanctions-asma-bashar-syria |work=The Guardian |accessdate=23 March 2012 |date=23 March 2012}}</ref>
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On 23 March 2012, the [[European Union]] froze her assets and placed a travel ban on her and President Bashar al-Assad's other close family members as part of escalating sanctions against the Syrian government.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17483714 |publisher=BBC News</ref><ref>http://webcitation.org/query?date=2015-11-26&url=http%3A%2F%2Feur-lex.europa.eu%2Flegal-content%2FEN%2FTXT%2FHTML%2F%3Furi%3DCELEX%3A32012D0172%26from%3DEN</ref> Asma al-Assad herself remains able to travel to the UK because of her British citizenship but is banned from entering the rest of the EU.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/23/assads-eu-sanctions-asma-bashar-syria</ref>
  
On 16 April 2012, Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, the wives of the German and British ambassadors to the United Nations, released a four-minute video asking Asma al-Assad to stand up for peace and urge her husband to end the bloodshed in her country.<ref>{{cite web |title=UN ambassador wives in peace plea to Syria's Asma Assad |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17753841 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=18 April 2012 |date=16 April 2012}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SzUViTShIAo International letter and petition to Asma al-Assad] (Youtube video by Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, 16 April 2012)</ref>
+
On 16 April 2012, Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, the wives of the German and British ambassadors to the United Nations, released a four-minute video asking Asma al-Assad to stand up for peace and urge her husband to end the bloodshed in her country.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17753841</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SzUViTShIAo International letter and petition to Asma al-Assad] (Youtube video by Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, 16 April 2012)</ref>
  
She had not been seen in public regularly since the July 2012 bombing of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate, leading to press speculation that she had fled the capital or the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hunt for Assad is on amid claims of wife Asma's exit to Russia |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/hunt-for-assad-is-on-amid-claims-of-wife-asmas-exit-to-russia-7960154.html |publisher=The Independent (London, UK) |accessdate=26 July 2012 |date=20 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Free Syrian Army move HQ from Turkey to Syria |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20120922-syria-turkey-aleppo-anti-assad-rebels-fsa-command-centre-moved-into-liberated-areas |publisher=France 24 |accessdate=8 October 2012 |date=23 September 2012}}</ref> She made a public appearance at the Damascus Opera House for an event called "Mother's Rally" on 18 March 2013, refuting the rumours.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9936294/Syria-Asma-al-Assad-makes-rare-public-appearance.html/ Syria: Asma al-Assad makes rare public appearance]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/18/world/asma-syria-appearance/ |title=Surrounded by children, Syria’s First Lady makes rare appearance |first=Ashley |last=Fantz |date=18 March 2013 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> She made another public appearance in October 2013 and again refuted rumours of her departure, stating:
+
She had not been seen in public regularly since the July 2012 bombing of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate, leading to press speculation that she had fled the capital or the country.<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/hunt-for-assad-is-on-amid-claims-of-wife-asmas-exit-to-russia-7960154.html </ref><ref>http://www.france24.com/en/20120922-syria-turkey-aleppo-anti-assad-rebels-fsa-command-centre-moved-into-liberated-areas</ref> She made a public appearance at the Damascus Opera House for an event called "Mother's Rally" on 18 March 2013, refuting the rumours.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9936294/Syria-Asma-al-Assad-makes-rare-public-appearance.html/ Syria: Asma al-Assad makes rare public appearance]</ref><ref>http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/18/world/asma-syria-appearance/ </ref> She made another public appearance in October 2013 and again refuted rumours of her departure, stating:
:"I was here yesterday, I'm here today and I will be here tomorrow."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10381218/Asma-al-Assad-denies-leaving-Syria.html |title=Asma al-Assad denies leaving Syria |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=30 November 2013}}</ref>
+
:"I was here yesterday, I'm here today and I will be here tomorrow."<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10381218/Asma-al-Assad-denies-leaving-Syria.html</ref>
  
As of November 2016, her public Instagram page continues to be updated with photos of her engaged in community service activities.<ref>{{cite news|title=Assad's wife turns to Instagram to boost image|agency=Radio Free Europe|date=September 2013}}</ref>
+
As of November 2016, her public Instagram page continues to be updated with photos of her engaged in community service activities.
  
 
==="A Rose in the Desert"===
 
==="A Rose in the Desert"===
In February 2011, ''Vogue'' magazine published "A Rose in the Desert," a flattering profile of Asma al-Assad by veteran fashion writer Joan Juliet Buck. The article was later removed from the magazine's website without editorial comment that spring.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/vogue-defends-profile-of-syrian-first-lady/71764/ |title=Vogue Defends Profile of Syrian First Lady |work=The Atlantic |first=John |last=Cook |date=28 February 2011 |accessdate=16 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://gawker.com/5800551/vogue-disappears-adoring-profile-of-syrian-butchers-wife |title=Memory Hole: Vogue Disappears Adoring Profile of Syrian Butcher's Wife |work=Gawker |first=John |last=Cook |date=20 May 2011 |accessdate=18 June 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012004323/http://gawker.com/5800551/vogue-disappears-adoring-profile-of-syrian-butchers-wife |archivedate=12 October 2012 }}</ref> Responding to media inquiries about the disappearance of Asma's profile, ''Vogue's'' editor stated that "as the terrible events of the past year and a half unfolded in Syria, it became clear that priorities and values were completely at odds with those of ''Vogue''".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9325230/Syria-Vogue-Anna-Wintour-disowns-Asma-al-Assad.html |title=Syria: Vogue's Anna Wintour disowns Asma al-Assad |work=The Telegraph |first=Nick |last=Allen |date=11 June 2012 |accessdate=13 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Syria's Assads Turned to West For Glossy P.R. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/world/middleeast/syrian-conflict-cracks-carefully-polished-image-of-assad.html?pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times |accessdate=14 September 2012 |date=10 June 2012}}</ref> Buck has since written another article for ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' giving an extremely critical account of Asma al-Assad.<ref>{{cite news |title=Syria's Fake First Family |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730110710/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/29/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-with-syria-s-first-lady.html |archive-date=30 July 2012 |url=http://www.newsweek.com/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-syrias-first-lady-65615 |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=26 November 2015 |date=30 July 2012 |dead-url=yes}}</ref>
+
In February 2011, ''Vogue'' magazine published "A Rose in the Desert," a flattering profile of Asma al-Assad by veteran fashion writer Joan Juliet Buck. The article was later removed from the magazine's website without editorial comment that spring.<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/vogue-defends-profile-of-syrian-first-lady/71764/</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121012004323/http://gawker.com/5800551/vogue-disappears-adoring-profile-of-syrian-butchers-wife </ref> Responding to media inquiries about the disappearance of Asma's profile, ''Vogue's'' editor stated that "as the terrible events of the past year and a half unfolded in Syria, it became clear that priorities and values were completely at odds with those of ''Vogue''".<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9325230/Syria-Vogue-Anna-Wintour-disowns-Asma-al-Assad.html</ref><ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/world/middleeast/syrian-conflict-cracks-carefully-polished-image-of-assad.html?pagewanted=all </ref> Buck has since written another article for ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' giving an extremely critical account of Asma al-Assad.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120730110710/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/29/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-with-syria-s-first-lady.html </ref>
  
 
==Personal life==
 
==Personal life==
Asma and Bashar al-Assad have three children. Their first child, a son named Hafez after his grandfather [[Hafez al-Assad]], was born in 2001, and followed by their daughter Zein in 2003, and their second son Karim in 2004.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bar |first=Shmuel |title=Bashar's Syria: The Regime and its Strategic Worldview |journal=Comparative Strategy |date=2006 |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=353–445 |issn=0149-5933 |url=http://herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2590Bashars.pdf#page=2 |archive-date=26 November 2013 |doi=10.1080/01495930601105412 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126160614/http://herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2590Bashars.pdf#page=2 |dead-url=no}}</ref>
+
Asma and Bashar al-Assad have three children. Their first child, a son named Hafez after his grandfather [[Hafez al-Assad]], was born in 2001, and followed by their daughter Zein in 2003, and their second son Karim in 2004.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20131126160614/http://herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2590Bashars.pdf#page=2</ref>
  
 
===Breast cancer===
 
===Breast cancer===

Revision as of 02:00, 5 June 2021

Person.png Asma al-Assad  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(First Lady of Syria)
Asma Queen.jpg
Asma al-Assad meets the Queen at Buckingham Palace in December 2002
BornAsma Akhras
11 August 1975
London, England
NationalityBritish, Syrian
Alma materKing's College London
Parents • Fawaz Akhras
• Sahar Otri
Children3

Employment.png First Lady of Syria

In office
December 13, 2000 - Present

Asma al-Assad is the British wife of the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, whom she married in December 2000.[1]

As a result of the ongoing terrorist insurgency in Syria, economic sanctions have been imposed on Asma al-Assad, making it illegal in the European Union (EU) to provide her with certain material assistance, for her to obtain certain products, and curtailing her ability to travel within the EU, excluding the United Kingdom where she is a citizen.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Born British

Asma al-Assad was born Asma Akhras on 11 August 1975 in London to Fawaz Akhras, a cardiologist at the Cromwell Hospital, and his wife Sahar Akhras, a retired diplomat who served as First Secretary at the Syrian Embassy in London. Her parents are Sunni Muslims and of Syrian origin, hailing from the city of Homs.[10] She grew up in Acton, London, where she went to Twyford Church of England High School and later a private girls' school, Queen's College, London.[11]

Asma graduated from King's College London in 1996 with a first-class honours Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and a diploma in French literature.[12] She speaks English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. She joined Deutsche Bank as an analyst in hedge-fund management and then moved to investment bank JP Morgan, working in Paris, New York and London.[13][14] She quit her investment banking job following the wedding and remained in Syria, where their three children were born. As First Lady she played a major role in implementing governmental organisations involved with social and economic development throughout the country as part of a reform initiative under Bashar's governance which was halted due to the rebel uprising in Syria.

In 2021, the Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into Asma. She now risks losing her British citizenship.[15]

First Lady

After Hafez al-Assad's death in June 2000, Bashar took over the presidency.[16] Asma moved to Syria in November 2000 and married Bashar in December of that year. The marriage surprised many since there had been no media reports of their dating and courtship prior to the wedding. Many interpreted the union as a reconciliation and sign of progression towards a reformative government as Asma grew up in the United Kingdom and represents the Sunni majority unlike the Alawite Bashar.

After the wedding, Asma travelled throughout Syria to 100 villages in 13 of the 14 Syrian governorates to speak with Syrians and learn where she should direct her future policies. She went on to create a collection of organisations that functioned under the charity sector of the government, referred to as the Syrian Trust for Development; the organisations include FIRDOS (rural micro-credit), SHABAB (business skills for youth), BASMA (helping children with cancer), RAWAFED (cultural development), the Syrian Organisation for the Disabled, and the Syrian Development Research Centre, aimed to target rural communities, economic development, disabled citizens, cultural development, and children's and women's development, respectively. Most well-known were the MASSAR centers she created, locations that functioned as community centers for children to learn active citizenship. Due to this work, she earned a spot as one of the Middle East 411 Magazine's "World's Most Influential Arabs".

Public image

Because of her reformative work, she was described by media analysts as an important part of the public relations effort of the Syrian government in her tenure as First Lady and was credited with taking progressive positions on women's rights and education.[17][18] The United Nations Development Programme spent US$18 million to help organise a complex set of reform initiatives showing the Syrian government was working toward a more modern and progressive form of government, a key part of which was helping to create "a reformer's aura" for Assad, highlighting her participation in the Syrian Trust for Development until the programme was suspended as the country descended into civil war.[19][20] As a Sunni Muslim by birth, Assad's leading role was also important for the view of the Syrian government and President among the Sunni majority of Syria. Much of her modern day image involves public questioning about her role in Syria's governance alongside her husband, particularly in contrast to the programs she implemented within the country before the conflict; media reports include questions such as, "What are the chances that some of the thousands who have been killed, wounded, or imprisoned during the current unrest were involved in Massar, the organisation that she founded in 2005 to involve young people in active citizenship?" The following remark addresses such claims:

She is said to be in favour of economic and technological reform, but there is very little information regarding her modes and areas of influence, or the extent to which she attempts to promote her ideas in the face of the opposition of other family members. Unlike Bashar’s mother, who rarely appeared in public, Asma has played a relatively prominent public role. However, there is no sign that Asma is involved in any of the wider consultations that Bashar holds with his advisors, belongs to any cliques within the regime, or has had any influence on non-domestic issues (such as Lebanon or the peace process with Israel (author=Shmuel Bar)

Since the terrorist uprising intensified in early 2012, the First Lady has been criticised for remaining silent.[21] She issued her first official statement to the international media since the insurrection began in February 2012, nearly a year after the first serious protests.[22][23] Also in February 2012, she sent an email to The Times stating:

"The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role."

The communiqué also described her continued support for charities and rural development activities and related that she comforts the "victims of the violence".[24][25]

On 23 March 2012, the European Union froze her assets and placed a travel ban on her and President Bashar al-Assad's other close family members as part of escalating sanctions against the Syrian government.[26][27] Asma al-Assad herself remains able to travel to the UK because of her British citizenship but is banned from entering the rest of the EU.[28]

On 16 April 2012, Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, the wives of the German and British ambassadors to the United Nations, released a four-minute video asking Asma al-Assad to stand up for peace and urge her husband to end the bloodshed in her country.[29][30]

She had not been seen in public regularly since the July 2012 bombing of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate, leading to press speculation that she had fled the capital or the country.[31][32] She made a public appearance at the Damascus Opera House for an event called "Mother's Rally" on 18 March 2013, refuting the rumours.[33][34] She made another public appearance in October 2013 and again refuted rumours of her departure, stating:

"I was here yesterday, I'm here today and I will be here tomorrow."[35]

As of November 2016, her public Instagram page continues to be updated with photos of her engaged in community service activities.

"A Rose in the Desert"

In February 2011, Vogue magazine published "A Rose in the Desert," a flattering profile of Asma al-Assad by veteran fashion writer Joan Juliet Buck. The article was later removed from the magazine's website without editorial comment that spring.[36][37] Responding to media inquiries about the disappearance of Asma's profile, Vogue's editor stated that "as the terrible events of the past year and a half unfolded in Syria, it became clear that priorities and values were completely at odds with those of Vogue".[38][39] Buck has since written another article for The Daily Beast giving an extremely critical account of Asma al-Assad.[40]

Personal life

Asma and Bashar al-Assad have three children. Their first child, a son named Hafez after his grandfather Hafez al-Assad, was born in 2001, and followed by their daughter Zein in 2003, and their second son Karim in 2004.[41]

Breast cancer

On 8 August 2018, Asma al-Assad – the Lady of Jasmine as she is called in Syria – underwent chemotherapy treatment for early stage breast cancer.[42]

 

An Office Holder on Wikispooks

NameFrom
Asma al-Assad13 December 2000

 

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References

  1. "How did shy middle class Emma from Acton end up married to Syria's tyrant? Amazing story of Asma Al-Assad"
  2. "Assad's British wife targeted by EU as Annan pursues talks on ceasefire" Saturday, 24 March 2012, The Scotsman
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20110611144310/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8503481/Is-Asma-Assad-in-London.html
  4. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9149223/Bashar-al-Assads-wife-could-face-two-year-prison-term-for-sanctions-busting-after-shopping-spree.html
  5. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17483714 |publisher=BBC News
  6. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9162194/Syria-Asma-al-Assad-hit-with-EU-sanctions.html
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910094500/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/20/assad-wife-face-eu-sanctions
  8. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304724404577299000830390154
  9. http://abcnews.go.com/International/syrias-stylish-ladys-shopping-sprees-now-hit-sanctions/story?id=15976684
  10. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/in-syria-the-army-s-loyalty-to-assad-runs-deep-1.358310
  11. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/president-assads-wife-banned-from-europe-770546
  12. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2514525/Sexy-Brit-bringing-Syria-in-from-the-cold.html
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20120521010308/http://www.syrianembassy.us/first_lady.html
  14. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/magazine/10SYRIA.html?pagewanted=all
  15. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/14/asma-al-assad-syria-risks-british-citizenship-loss-possible-terror-charges
  16. http://www.newsweek.com/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-syrias-first-lady-65615
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20120209033645/http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/14/188236.html
  18. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/25/world/meast/asma-al-assad-profile/index.html
  19. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/20/before-assad-unleashed-violence-un-showcased-wife-asma-as-champion-reform/?test=latestnews
  20. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/10/08/un-sponsored-group-in-syria-included-assad-kin-cited-as-corrupt-by-us-documents
  21. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9065611/Syrias-First-Lady-Asma-al-Assad-breaks-her-silence.html
  22. http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/13/peter-goodspeed-the-glamorous-face-of-syrias-dictatorship
  23. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/world-politics/has-syrias-princess-diana-become-its-marie-antoinette/story-fn9hkofv-1226257230037
  24. http://www.theage.com.au/world/first-lady-breaks-silence-to-support-president-assad-20120207-1r59e.html
  25. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16930738
  26. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17483714 |publisher=BBC News
  27. http://webcitation.org/query?date=2015-11-26&url=http%3A%2F%2Feur-lex.europa.eu%2Flegal-content%2FEN%2FTXT%2FHTML%2F%3Furi%3DCELEX%3A32012D0172%26from%3DEN
  28. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/23/assads-eu-sanctions-asma-bashar-syria
  29. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17753841
  30. International letter and petition to Asma al-Assad (Youtube video by Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, 16 April 2012)
  31. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/hunt-for-assad-is-on-amid-claims-of-wife-asmas-exit-to-russia-7960154.html
  32. http://www.france24.com/en/20120922-syria-turkey-aleppo-anti-assad-rebels-fsa-command-centre-moved-into-liberated-areas
  33. Syria: Asma al-Assad makes rare public appearance
  34. http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/18/world/asma-syria-appearance/
  35. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10381218/Asma-al-Assad-denies-leaving-Syria.html
  36. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/vogue-defends-profile-of-syrian-first-lady/71764/
  37. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012004323/http://gawker.com/5800551/vogue-disappears-adoring-profile-of-syrian-butchers-wife
  38. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9325230/Syria-Vogue-Anna-Wintour-disowns-Asma-al-Assad.html
  39. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/world/middleeast/syrian-conflict-cracks-carefully-polished-image-of-assad.html?pagewanted=all
  40. https://web.archive.org/web/20120730110710/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/29/joan-juliet-buck-my-vogue-interview-with-syria-s-first-lady.html
  41. https://web.archive.org/web/20131126160614/http://herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2590Bashars.pdf#page=2
  42. "The First Lady of Syria, the Lady of Jasmine, after her chemotherapy session"
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