Asma al-Assad

Asma al -Assad (Arabic أسماء الأسد, DMG Asmaa al - ʾ ʾ Asad ), née Asma al - Akhras Fauaz, ( born August 11, 1975 in London) is since 2000 the wife of the Syrian President Bashar al -Assad, and thus the First Lady Syria.

Career

Asma al - Assad's father Fauaz Akhras, a London living and practicing cardiologist, originally from an influential Sunni family in the Syrian Homs. Asma grew up in London 's renowned West Acton. She attended there despite their Muslim origin a denominational school of the Church of England and moved to a denominational independent school where she received her nickname " Emma" later. After graduating, she studied at King's College London computer science and was according to a statement of one of the professors teaching there, " open-minded " as " intelligent" and " not a bit traditional " perceived.

After studying Asma worked as a Financial Analyst for the German Bank and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Wife of Bashar al -Assad

Probably learned Asma her future husband Bashar al -Assad met during its study visit to London in the early 1990s. Little is known about the exact circumstances, except that the two 1994 stayed in touch even after Bashar return to Syria. The wedding in December 2000, shortly after Bashar's accession to the throne, was held as a surprise to outsiders. The marriage produced three children so far Zein (born 5 November 2003) and Karim (born 16 December 2004) emerged, Hafiz (born 3 December 2001). According to media reports, they should currently be pregnant again ( January 2013).

Asma al -Assad plays unlike her predecessor as First Lady, Anisa Machluf, a publicly visible role, which has already led to conflicts with her ​​sister Bushra al -Assad.