On the night of Saturday, December 7 to Sunday, December 8, the Bashar al Assad regime in Syria has been overthrown by the rebelsspecifically by a coalition of Islamist militias. These have acted through the organization Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a faction of the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, whose leader is Al Jolani.
He made his objective clear for years, to put an end to the Assads in Syria, who had been more than 50 years in powerand recover the “national” caliphate in the country.
After just 11 days and with hardly any impediments, the rebels have been taking over different territories until reaching Damascus less than 24 hours ago, declaring their victory on state television in said territory and promising a transitional government after the fall of the Al Assad family.
In this situation, different sources claim that the leader of the Syrian government, Bashar al Assad, in power for almost 25 years, has fled the country by plane but, at the moment, his whereabouts are unknown. His wife and children also left the country with him. Below we tell you what is known about what has been, to date, the first Syrian lady.
Asma al Assad, the wife of the former Syrian leader
Her birth name is Asma Fawaz al Akhras and she was born in August 1975 in London, after her family emigrated to the United Kingdom from the city of Homs, in Syria. Graduated in Computer Science and graduated in French Literature, after working in different banking and investment companies in Europe and the United States, met Bashar al Assadher current husband, at the Syrian embassy in London.
He is 10 years older than her but this did not prevent them from ending up forming a couple that, finally It became a marriage in 2000.the same year in which Bashar was inaugurated president of Syria. Together they have three childrenHafez, Zeyn and Karim.
Famous throughout the world
Upon becoming first lady of Syria, the eyes of the world rested on Asma for years, eventually being dubbed by Vogue magazine as ‘desert rose’also being called 100% natural beauty. The wife of the escaped former leader has not only stood out for her praised outfits, her savoir-faire and her elegance, but she has also done so for assuming a supportive role for the collaborate and participate in different NGOsespecially linked to people with disabilities and women’s rights.
Despite the clash between his Western education and career with his life in the middle eastAsma has for many years perceived herself as a modern woman in an Arab world and has always maintained her politeness and composure in any political or professional appearance.
Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his wife Asma at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 14, 2008
Even so, after the outbreak of the war in Syria during 2011, The European Union vetoed the Syrian first ladynot allowing him to travel to said territory and freezing his assets. For this reason, since then she has not been seen in Europe on too many occasions and Asma decided to dedicate herself to her children in Syria, leaving that image of a modern and committed woman somewhat forgotten.
health problems
From a family composed of a cardiologist father and a mother who was the first secretary of the Syrian Embassy in LondonAsma’s childhood and youth passed with the normality that can occur in a girl from a well-established family.
She later became first lady and wife of a leader who was harshly perceived by the world, as well as a mother, forming a large family. However, one of the most personal aspects of his life has been shaken several times: his health. Asthma suffered a breast cancer He was barely 43 years old, for which he received chemotherapy and, finally, managed to recover.
However, some time later, the tragedy of health problems reappeared in Asma’s life when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. This type of cancer occurs because the bone marrow begins to produce abnormal blood cells, as indicated by the United States National Cancer Institute.
About to turn 50, Asma is undergoing treatment for this leukemia. When her illness was announced, through Syrian social networks, the following was indicated about the former first lady: “She will adhere to a specialized protocol of treatment that includes strong infection prevention measures and appropriate social distancing», so «he will temporarily withdraw from all direct meetings», reported from ‘The voice of health’.
According to the same source, some of the symptoms of acute myeloid leukemia They are a decrease in blood cell levels such as anemia or neutropenia, from which they lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, fever, headache, difficulty breathing and being more prone to having serious and frequent infections. A decrease in blood platelets, bone and joint pain, or abdominal swelling may also occur.
#Asma #Assad #wife #fled #leader #Syria #cancer #suffers #considered #rose #desert
