In 2011, Vogue magazine wrote about Asma al-Assad, the wife of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, that she was not only very stylish and magnetic, but also a very glamorous and charming first lady. Vogue magazine mentioned these qualities in its introduction to Asma al-Assad in its report, but shortly after, the magazine removed the article after allegations of brutal violence against protesters demanding freedom by her husband's government. In an interview with the Russian television channel Rossiya 24 in 2016, Asma al-Assad said that she had rejected the offer to leave the civil war-torn nation and be safely evacuated from war-torn Syria. "I have been here from the beginning and I have never thought of going anywhere else," she said. However, this week, the situation changed with the arrival of rebel forces in Damascus, resulting in the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria that lasted for more than two decades. Asma al-Assad, along with her husband and three children, left Syria for Russia She left for Syria, where, according to Russian state media, she was granted humanitarian asylum. While supporters of her husband, Bashar al-Assad, liken her to the "Flower of Damascus", her critics and enemies have dubbed her the "Goddess of Death". Asma al-Assad has repeatedly expressed her loyalty to her husband and his regime. In April 2017, Asma published a statement on her social networks about the Syrian presidency, in which she strongly criticized the US missile strike on a Syrian air base. The strike was authorized by then-President Donald Trump in response to an alleged chemical attack by the Syrian army in the rebel-held town of Khan Shijoun on April 4, 2017. However, Bashar al-Assad's government has strongly denied using chemical weapons in its operations in northern Idlib and has pointed to the explosion of an al-Qaeda chemical weapons factory as a possible explanation. The blast killed more than 80 people. A few years earlier, in August 2013, hundreds were killed in a chemical weapons attack in a rebel-held area near Damascus. Western powers and the opposition blamed the government of Bashar al-Assad, but the Syrian government denied it. Eventually, under international pressure, it agreed to destroy its chemical weapons. But that did not end the long list of atrocities committed in the civil war. More chemical attacks followed, and the United Nations accused all sides of war crimes. In response to the 2017 White House-ordered attack, Asma al-Assad posted on her Instagram and Facebook accounts, “What America did is an irresponsible act that reflects its narrow-minded ideology, its evasion of reality, its political and military blindness, and its false propaganda adventures.” The harsh message prompted the Liberal Democrats in Britain to call on the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, to strip Asma al-Assad of her British citizenship. Asma was born in the UK. In an article published in The Guardian, Conservative MP Nadeem Zahawi wrote, “Asma al-Assad is no longer worthy of British citizenship. She is no longer entitled to it after using social media to defend her husband. She denied using chemical weapons and targeted the West while presenting life in a devastated country as if everything was normal. In an interview in October 2016, she made it clear to the world that she would not leave Syria and that she would remain by her husband's side. Asma al-Assad had said in an interview with the Russian television channel Rossiya 24 in 2016 that she had been here from the beginning and had never thought of going anywhere elseIn the interview, she claimed that she had rejected an offer to leave the country, which was torn by civil war. "I was offered to leave Syria, which included financial benefits along with guarantees of the safety and security of my children." She alleged that those who made the offer were trying to undermine her husband's presidency. "Their aim was not hidden, but it was easy for anyone to understand what they wanted," she said. "It was never about my well-being or the well-being of my children, but rather a deliberate attempt to undermine the people's trust in their president." And when asked why she preferred to stay in Damascus, she said, "It's not a matter of preference. I am with him because I have his trust and confidence." It was the first time in eight years that Asma al-Assad had given a television interview. At the start of the war in 2011, President Bashar al-Assad's wife made frequent media headlines, openly supporting her husband in situations where Bashar al-Assad's government was accused of killing thousands of protesters and opponents during the conflict. Six years later, she was mainly active on social networks, attracting attention with photos of meetings with orphaned children and visits to clinics and hospitals. It was a completely different environment from west London. She was born in London to a family of Syrian origin, where she was given the name Asma al-Akhras. Her father, Fawaz al-Akhras, was a cardiologist and practiced in a private clinic. Her mother, Sahar, was a diplomat and had worked as a first secretary at the Syrian embassy in London. Asma, a Sunni Muslim, was educated at Queen's College, 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 she met Bashar al-Assad, who had graduated in medicine and was specializing in ophthalmology in London. Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, died in June 2000. Immediately after his death, 34-year-old Bashar was immediately appointed president. After taking office, Bashar al-Assad adopted a new political tone, talking about transparency, democracy, development, innovation, accountability and adopting institutional thinking. A few months after coming to power, Bashar al-Assad married Asma al-Akhras, which surprised many. Kim Ghattas, a former BBC Middle East correspondent, says that at the time, many people thought that the marriage of a British woman and a Sunni Muslim girl could be a sign of progress and integration and that it would encourage reform in a Sunni-majority country. But over the years it became clear that Bashar was just like his father, a hardline leader who appeared to be a reformist. According to Kim Ghattas, “an anonymous family source suggested that Bashar al-Assad married Asma knowing that she would be invaluable in presenting a modern face to Syria.” However, Kim Ghattas says that Asma’s role as first lady caused tension within the Assad family, especially since the president’s sister Bourshara and her mother Anissa did not enjoy public relations much. In February 2011, fashion magazine Vogue published a 3,200-word profile of the Syrian first lady, entitled “A Rose in the Desert.” In the article, it described Asma as glamorous and claimed that Syria was the safest country in the Middle East. But just a month later, police cracked down on peaceful, pro-democracy protesters in the city of Daraa, sparking a conflict that has killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. 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, which included paying $5,000 a month to an American public relations 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. Things changed rapidly with the war. In 2012, the European Union imposed sanctions on Asma, banning her from traveling and freezing her assets. But Asma has issued statements in support of her husband and ensuring that she is dedicated to comforting “victims of violence.” In a 2016 interview with Russian television, Asma said she was using her position to organize aid for the displaced and injured, Syrian soldiers and families of those killed in the war. In 2018, Syrian authorities revealed that Asma al-Assad was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. In an interview with Syrian state television in 2019, she said that she had recovered thanks to early detection. In May 2024, the Syrian presidential office reported that Asma al-Assad had been diagnosed with leukemia. The Reuters news agency reported that “According to the statement, Asma, 48, will have to undergo a special treatment protocol under which she will have to isolate herself and as a result she will stay away from public engagements.” She is currently in Moscow with her husband and three children.