Who is Asma Al-Assad, who is called the ‘Flower of Damascus’?
During a news conference, when Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked about the news of divorce between Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad, he replied, “No, there is no truth in them.”
A spokesman for the Russian government has said that the wife of deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not divorcing him.
According to the news circulating in the Turkish media, Asma Al Asad wants to end her marriage and leave Russia. It should be remembered that since the overthrow of the government by the rebels in Syria, Bashar al-Assad has taken refuge in Russia along with his wife and children.
During a news conference, when Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked about the news of divorce between Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad, he replied, “No, there is no truth in these (news). ‘
He also denied reports that Bashar al-Assad has been confined to Moscow within Russia and that his assets have been frozen.
It should be noted that during the civil war in Syria, Russia was an ally of the Bashar al-Assad regime and provided military support to it. According to Turkish media reports on Sunday, Bashar al-Assad and his family are living under strict restrictions in the Russian capital, Moscow, while the former first lady of Syria has also filed for divorce because she wants to move to London.
Asma al-Assad holds Syrian as well as British citizenship, but the British Home Secretary has already made it clear that she will not be allowed to return to the country.
Speaking in Parliament at the beginning of this month, British Home Secretary David Lammy said, “I want to make it clear that she (Isma al-Assad) is under sanctions and will not be welcome in Britain.”
He added that he would use all his powers to ensure that no member of the Assad family finds a place in the UK.
Last week, a statement attributed to Bashar al-Assad said that he did not want to leave Syria, but the Russian army took him out of there and transferred him to Moscow.
Asma al-Assad met and then married Bashar al-Assad in London
Asma Al-Asad was born in London to a family of Syrian origin, where she was given the name Asma Al-Akhras.
His father, Fawaz Al-Akhra, was a cardiologist and ran a private clinic. His mother, Sahar, was a diplomat and worked as First Secretary at the Syrian Embassy in London.
Belonging to the Sunni Muslim sect, Asma studied at a private girls’ school, later graduated in computing from the prestigious King’s College and then began her career as a banker in London.
There he met Bashar al-Assad who had graduated in medicine and was specializing in ophthalmology.
Bashar’s father Hafiz Asad died in June 2000. Immediately after his death, 34-year-old Bashar al-Assad was immediately appointed as the president of Syria. Bashar al-Assad took a new political tone after being sworn in, talking about adopting transparency, democracy, development, innovation, accountability and institutional thinking.
A few months after coming to power, Bashar al-Assad married Asma Al-Akhris, which surprised many people.
Kim Ghattas, a former BBC Middle East correspondent, points out that at the time many believed that the marriage of a British woman to a Sunni Muslim girl could be a sign of progress and integration in a Sunni-majority country. It will encourage reforms in the country.
But over the years it became clear that Bashar was just like his father, a hard-line leader who appeared to be a reformist.
According to Kim Ghattas, “An anonymous family source said that Bashar al-Assad married Asma knowing that she would be invaluable in showing the modern face of Syria.”
However, Kim Ghattas says that ‘Isma’s approach as first lady caused tension within the Assad family, especially the president’s sister Burshara and his mother Anisa, who were not very fond of public relations.’
‘Rose in the Desert’
In February 2011, the fashion magazine ‘Vogue’ published a 3,200-word profile of the Syrian first lady entitled ‘A rose in the desert.’
In this article, he described Asma as glamorous and claimed that Syria is the safest country in the Middle East.
But just a month later, police brutalized peaceful, pro-democracy protesters in the city of Daraa, sparking a conflict that has killed nearly five hundred thousand people and left millions homeless.
This year, the Syrian First Lady was seen internationally in a different light.
Shortly after the Vogue profile appeared, the New York Times reported that the article was part of a campaign by the Bashar al-Assad regime, including an American public This included paying $5,000 a month to a relationship firm that acted as an intermediary between Vogue and Asma Al-Assad.
The article was soon removed from Vogue’s website, and the publication’s director, Anna Wintour, issued a statement condemning the Assad regime.
Beat the disease
In 2012, the European Union imposed sanctions on Asma, banning her travel and freezing her assets, but Asma issued statements in support of her husband, ensuring that he was a ‘victim of violence’. Dedicated to comforting.
In her 2016 interview with Russian television, Asma said she was using her position to organize aid for the displaced and wounded, Syrian soldiers and families of those killed in the war.
In 2018, Syrian authorities informed that Asma al-Assad was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. In an interview with the Syrian state television in 2019, she said that she recovered due to an early diagnosis of cancer.
In May 2024, the Syrian presidential office reported that Asma al-Assad had been diagnosed with leukemia.
According to the statement, Asma, 48, will undergo a special treatment protocol that will require her to self-isolate and stay away from public engagements as a result, Reuters news agency reported.
