Asma al-Assad
| Asma al-Assad أسماء الأسد |
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|---|---|
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| First Lady of Syria | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Anisa Makhlouf |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Asma al-Akhras 11 August 1975 London, England |
| Nationality | Syrian, British |
| Spouse(s) | Bashar al-Assad |
| Relations | Fawaz Akhras |
| Children | Hafez, Zein and Karim al-Assad |
| Alma mater | King's College London |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Asma al-Assad (Arabic: أسماء الأسد); born 11 August 1975; née Asma Fawaz al-Akhras (Arabic: أسماء فواز الأخرس), is the British-born First Lady of Syria.[1] She moved to Syria to marry President Bashar al-Assad in December 2000, having previously pursued a career in investment banking.
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[edit] Early life, education and finance career
Asma is the daughter of Fawaz Akhras, a consultant cardiologist at the Cromwell Hospital, London, and retired diplomat Sahar Otri al-Akhras. Her parents are Sunni and of Syrian origin, originally coming from Homs.[2][3] Assad grew up in Acton where she went to a local Church of England state school.[4] She finished her schooling at Queen's College in London, attended King's College London, and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Diploma in French Literature.[5]
After university, Assad started work at Deutsche Bank Group in the hedge fund management division with clients in Europe and the East Asia. In 1998, she joined the investment banking division of J.P. Morgan, specializing in mergers and acquisitions.[6][7]
[edit] Personal life
Asma met Bashar al-Assad during a holiday to Syria.[8] After Hafez al-Assad's death in 2000, Bashar took over the presidency of Syria. Asma emigrated to Syria in November 2000 and married Bashar in December. They have three children: Hafez, Zein and Karim.[2]
[edit] First Lady
Asma has been described by analysts and in media as an important part of Syria's public image.[9][7][10] She was also credited with taking progressive positions on women's rights and education, and liberalizing the Syrian economy.[10] Her designer outfits have also garnered media attention.[9]
Asma remained largely silent during the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising,[11][12][9] issuing her first statement to international media in February 2012 through a representative. The representative sent an e-mail to The Times in London on her behalf stating: "The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the first lady supports him in that role."[13]
[edit] References
- ^ Ramdani, Nabila (10 May 2011). "Is Asma Assad in London?". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8503481/Is-Asma-Assad-in-London.html. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ a b Bar, Shmuel (2006). "Bashar's Syria: The Regime and its Strategic Worldview". Comparative Strategy 25: 380. http://www.herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2590Bashars.pdf. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ^ Bar'el, Zvi (27 April 2011). "In Syria, the army's loyalty to Assad runs deep". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/in-syria-the-army-s-loyalty-to-assad-runs-deep-1.358310. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ "The road to Damascus (all the way from Acton)". BBC News. 31 October 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1630134.stm. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ Harvey, Oliver (3 July 2009). "Sexy Brit bringing Syria in from the cold". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2514525/Sexy-Brit-bringing-Syria-in-from-the-cold.html. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ^ "The First Lady". Embassy of Syria in Washington D.C.. http://www.syrianembassy.us/first_lady.html.
- ^ a b Bennet, James (10 July 2005). "The Enigma of Damascus". New York Times online. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/magazine/10SYRIA.html?pagewanted=all.
- ^ Ramdani, Nabila (26 May 2011). "Asma al-Assad is no reformer". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/middle-east/2011/05/lady-asma-syria-assad-london.
- ^ a b c Agence France-Presse (2012-01-14). "Syria's First Lady Asma al-Assad Falling from Grace". Vancouversun.com. http://www.vancouversun.com/story_print.html?id=5997347&sponsor=escapes.ca. Retrieved 2012-02-14. (mirror)
- ^ a b "Will Asma al-Assad take a stand or stand by her man? - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. 25 December 2011. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/25/world/meast/asma-al-assad-profile/index.html. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ "Asma al-Assad, the glamorous face of Syria's dictatorship | Full Comment | National Post". Fullcomment.nationalpost.com. 2012-01-13. http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/13/peter-goodspeed-the-glamorous-face-of-syrias-dictatorship/. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
- ^ Fletcher, Martin (30 January 2012). "Has Syria's Princess Diana become its Marie Antoinette?". The Australian. The Times. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/world-politics/has-syrias-princess-diana-become-its-marie-antoinette/story-fn9hkofv-1226257230037.
- ^ Agence France-Presse (8 February 2012). "First lady breaks silence to support President Assad". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/world/first-lady-breaks-silence-to-support-president-assad-20120207-1r59e.html.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Asma al-Assad |
- Ann Curry interviews Asma, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, 9 May 2007
- The London girl with a plan to save Syria, Margarette Driscoll, The Times, 7 December 2008
- The Mysterious Mrs. Assad, CBC News / The National - Special report from Susan Ormiston, 20 February 2012
