According to CCTV News, on the 21st local time, the Syrian presidential palace issued a statement saying that Asma Assad, the wife of Syrian President Bashar Assad, was diagnosed with leukemia.
The statement of the Presidential Palace said that after the onset of clinical symptoms, Asma Assad received a series of medical examinations and was diagnosed with leukemia. Asma Assad, 48, will receive a special treatment program, which requires keeping an appropriate social distance under isolation. Therefore, she will stay away from direct work or public activities.
In August 2018, Asma Assad was found suffering from early breast cancer. In August 2019, she announced that she had fully recovered from breast cancer.
▲ On May 25, 2023, Asma will participate in the collection of Damascus roses in the countryside
It is reported that Asma Assad was born in Britain in 1975. Her family is a famous family in Syria. She grew up in the suburbs of London. Asma graduated from King's College London and later worked in several large banks in Europe and the United States.
Love with Bashar:
From Britain to Syria
On August 11, 1975, Asma was born into a Syrian immigrant family in London, England. Her father is a cardiologist, and her mother is a diplomat, with a superior family. Later, she entered King's College London, one of the four major British colleges, and graduated in 1996 with two degrees in computer science and French literature.
Bashar is the second son of former Syrian President Hafez Assad. Bashar is much quieter than his energetic brother Basil. He has no ambition but to be a doctor. After graduating from the Medical School of Damascus University, Bashar went to Tehran Hospital in Iran for internship, and later went to London to study ophthalmology. According to his tutor's memory, Bashar was very gentle and meticulous to patients and was an excellent ophthalmologist.
In an interview in 2016, Asma recalled that it was when Bashar went to the UK to study for ophthalmologist training that the two met. According to the Global Times, she met Bashar Assad at a party organized by the school. Bashar is 10 years older than Asma, 1.9 meters tall, and his gentle manner makes Asma fall in love with him at first sight. The two quickly fell in love.
However, in 1994, due to the accidental death of his brother, Bashar had to stop studying and return to Syria. Since then, the two began a long-distance relationship, mainly through e-mail to keep in touch. Asma often inspired Bashar with stories of historical figures.
After graduation, Asma worked in JPMorgan Chase, a world-famous financial company, and became an elite in the financial field. She is also going to study for an MBA at Harvard University. In October 2000, Asma, 25, gave up her job at JPMorgan Chase and just received the admission notice from Harvard Business School, flew to Syria from Britain, married Bashar and became a Syrian citizen.
"Desert Rose":
Break the stereotype of "First Lady"
After marriage, the two have three children, and they have deep feelings. Asma once joked: "He will listen to me eventually!" When asked why he married Bashar, Asma replied: "Some things in life are expected, such as majoring in computer science in college, planning to work in an investment bank, studying for an MBA, etc., but some things are unexpected. I never thought I would marry a national leader. At that time, I married him because I believed in his values and because we felt close to each other. "
After marriage, Asma became the first lady of Syria on December 13, 2000. From the day when she became the first lady of the President, Asma broke the stereotype of the first lady of Arab countries. She is frequently active in the political arena at home and abroad. A French newspaper described Asma like this: "Her fashionable appearance is loved by young people. Her whole body is synonymous with elegance. She is a fashion card."
With its strong, kind-hearted and capable image, Asma has won the favor of the Syrian people and is known as the "Desert Rose" by the local media. On the international stage, she was also highly praised. The French newspaper Paris Match Pictorial called her "Princess Diana of the East", which combines beauty and kindness.
Stick to Syria:
It was reported that "one person arrived at one division"
With the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the United States and the West are eager to overthrow the Bashar regime, and Asma's image in the western media has plummeted, and he has been fiercely attacked. She was criticized as "the first lady in hell", and the fashionable and beautiful image in the past seems to have become a kind of original sin. As the situation becomes more and more tense, there are even rumors that Asma has fled Syria with three children.
In 2013, she made a public appearance at the Damascus Opera House, held a "Mother's Meeting", and publicly refuted the rumors about her escape from Syria. She firmly said: "Some people suggested that I flee Syria. These attractive suggestions include ensuring the safety of my children, and even financial security. But I stood here yesterday, today, and tomorrow."
She proved her commitment with practical actions. After her marriage, Asma did travel all over Syria and went to more than 100 villages to talk with villagers face to face, trying to make changes for Syria. As the First Lady, Asma created the Syrian Development Trust Fund and launched a number of charitable organizations, focusing on rural development, culture and support for children and the disabled, advocating women to realize social values and encouraging them to work outside their homes. Because of her charity work, she is recognized as one of the "most influential Arabs in the world".
As for the popularity of Asma, some western media said, "Asma is equal to the strength of a division!"
Cancer also continues to charity:
"Hope to be an example for Syrians to face adversity"
In 2018, the Syrian government announced that Asma, the "first lady", was diagnosed with breast cancer. Bashar posted a picture of his wife accompanying him in the hospital on Facebook, and said that the malignant tumor in Asma was in its early stage. It is reported that it is very rare for Syria to announce that the "first lady" has cancer, because cancer is often regarded as a taboo in the Arab world, especially for women.
▲ Asma received early breast cancer treatment in a hospital in Damascus
"Cancer is a test for me and my family." A year later, Asma said in her first interview after being diagnosed with breast cancer that the reason why she openly talked about her disease was that she hoped to become a model for Syrians to face adversity. During the whole process of cancer treatment, Asma continued her public activities and encouraged the Syrians with her indomitable image.
Asma kept her elegant image during her illness, continued to do charity work, provided love meals for the elderly, and comforted the orphans and widows left by the Syrian war. Her strength and bravery not only won the respect of the Syrian people, but also rallied the hearts of the people. The Tunisian Oriental News commented that Asma's beautiful image and dignified demeanor were loved by the people in Syria and other Arab countries, which added a lot to Bashar.
▲ Asma continued her charity work during her cancer
When the news that Asma was diagnosed with leukemia came out, the Syrian Development Trust Fund was holding the annual Damascus Rose Festival to celebrate the harvest of roses. Asma was widely expected to attend the celebration before the authorities announced that she would withdraw from the public event.
Red Star Journalist Deng Shuyi Comprehensive CCTV News, Wen Wei Po, Global Times (Special correspondent Zhang Zhenzhu in Syria, Special correspondent Xue Dan, Special correspondent Huang Peizhao in Egypt, Special correspondent Wang Jiuyang), etc
Editor Zhang Li Editor in Charge Li
