Assad family
Encyclopedia
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, since Hafez al-Assad
Hafez al-Assad
Hafez ibn 'Ali ibn Sulayman al-Assad or more commonly Hafez al-Assad was the President of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule consolidated the power of the central government after decades of coups and counter-coups, such as Operation Wappen in 1957 conducted by the Eisenhower administration and...
became Syrian President in 1971 and established an authoritarian regime under the control of the Baath party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
. After his death in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
succeeded him.
The Assads are originally from Qardaha
Qardaha
Qardaha is a village in northwestern Syria, in the mountains overlooking the coastal town of Latakia.It is mainly an Alawite town and the traditional home of the Assad family, that has ruled Syria since 1970. During the reign of Hafez al-Assad 1970-2000 the government poured massive investments...
, just east of Latakia
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
in north-west Syria. They are members of the minority Alawite
Alawite
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
sect
Sect
A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
and belong to the Kalbiyya tribe. The family name Assad goes back to Ali Sulayman (1875-1963), who in 1927 changed his last name to it, possibly in connection with his social standing as a local mediator and his political activities. The name "Al Assad" means "the lion" in Arabic. All members of the extended Assad family stem from Ali Sulayman and his second wife Naissa, who came from a village in the Alawi mountains.
Family connections are presently an important part of Syrian politics. Several close family members of Hafez al-Assad have held positions in the government since his rise to power.
Hafez' family
- Hafez al-AssadHafez al-AssadHafez ibn 'Ali ibn Sulayman al-Assad or more commonly Hafez al-Assad was the President of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule consolidated the power of the central government after decades of coups and counter-coups, such as Operation Wappen in 1957 conducted by the Eisenhower administration and...
(1930–2000). President of Syria 1971–2000. Anisa Makhlouf, wife of Hafez and former First Lady.- Bushra al-Assad, died as an infant before 1960.
- Bushra al-AssadBushra al-AssadBushra al-Assad is the first child and only daughter of Hafez al-Assad, who was the president of Syria from 1971 to 2000. She is the sister of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad...
(born 1960) is a pharmacist and married to: Gen. Assef ShawqatAssef ShawqatGeneral Assef Shawkat is the deputy Minister of Defense of Syria since September 2011. He is married to Bashar Assad's sister Bushra and is from the Sunni sect. He previously served as the army's deputy chief of staff from July 2009 to September 2011. He then bypassed the position of chief of...
(born 1950), deputy-chief of staff of the Syrian armySyrian ArmyThe Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
and the former head of military intelligence. - Bassel al-Assad (1962-1994), was the original candidate for presidential succession, however, he died in a car accident.
- Bashar al-AssadBashar al-AssadBashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
(born 1965), is the President of Syria since 2000. Before Basil's death he was an ophthalmologist. He is married to Asma al-Assad (born 1975). She is the First LadyFirst LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of Syria and takes a prominent public role. Before being married she was an investment banker. They have three children. - Majd al-Assad (1967–2009), died after a long illness. He was married to Ru’a Ayyoub (b. 1976) and had no children.
- Maher al-AssadMaher al-AssadMaher al-Assad is the brother of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the commander of the Republican Guard and the army's elite Fourth Armored Division, which together with Syria's secret police form the core of the country's security forces...
(born 1967), is the commander of the Republican Guard, which are also known as the Presidential Guard, and the army's elite Fourth Armored DivisionDefense companiesThe Defense Companies were a paramilitary force in Syria that were controlled by Rifaat al-Assad. Their task was to defend the Assad government, and Damascus, from internal and external attack...
, which together with Syria's secret police form the core of the country's security forces. He is also a member of the Baath PartyBaath PartyThe Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
central command and is said to have an aggressive and uncontrollable personality.
Hafez' siblings
- Jamil al-AssadJamil al-AssadJamil al-Assad was a brother of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, and the uncle of present Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. He served in the Parliament of Syria, called the majlis ash-sha'b for many years, until his death....
(1933–2004), parliamentarian and commander of a minor militia. Politically marginalized years before his death.- Mundhir al-Assad (born 1961), was arrested in 2005 at the Beirut Airport while entering Lebanon. He was reported to have been involved in arms smuggling to the Iraqi insurgents. In 2011, the EU placed sanctions on him for being involved with the ShabbihaShabeehaShabeeha , is an Arabic word used mainly in Syria roughly translating to thugs or bullies...
militia in the repression of protestors during the 2011 Syrian uprising2011 Syrian uprisingThe 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
. - Fawwaz al-Assad (born 1962), had sanctions placed on him in 2011 by the EU for being involved with the Shabbiha militia in the repression of protestors during the 2011 Syrian uprising.
- One daughter is married to Yarob Kanaan, whose father is:
Ghazi KanaanGhazi KanaanGhazi Kanaan was Syria's Interior Minister from 2004 to 2005, and long-time head of Syria's security apparatus in Lebanon...
(1942-2005) who in 2005 during his term as interior minister presumably killed himself. The Kanaans come from the Kalabiyya tribe.
- Mundhir al-Assad (born 1961), was arrested in 2005 at the Beirut Airport while entering Lebanon. He was reported to have been involved in arms smuggling to the Iraqi insurgents. In 2011, the EU placed sanctions on him for being involved with the Shabbiha
- Rifaat al-AssadRifaat al-AssadRifaat al-Assad is the younger brother of the former President of Syria, Hafez al-Assad, and the uncle of the current President Bashar al-Assad, all of whom come from the minority Alawite Muslim sect. He was born in the village of Qardaha, near Lattakia in western Syria. He is perhaps best known...
(born 1937). Formerly a powerful security chief who was responsible for the 1982 Hama massacreHama massacreThe Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
. After attempting a coup d'étatCoup d'étatA coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1984 he went into exile in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and now lives in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is married with four wivesPolygamyPolygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
:
Amira al-Assad, a cousin
Sana' Makhlouf, from the family of Hafez' wife
Raja Barakat, from a wealthy Sunni Damascene family
Lina al-Khayer, sister in law of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz
Rifaat has a number of children from these marriages, including:- Ribal al-Assad, has lived since he was nine years old abroad, currently in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in an interview in 2010 he denied that his father was involved in the massacre of Hama or that his family's branch was connected to Abdul Halim KhaddamAbdul Halim KhaddamAbdul Halim Khaddam is a Syrian politician who was Vice President of Syria from 1984 to 2005.-Early life and career:Abdul Halim Khaddam was born on 15 September 1932 in Baniyas, Syria. Abdul Halim was one of the few Sunni Muslims to make it to the top of the Alawite-dominated Syrian leadership...
or Ghazi Kanaan. - Somar al-Assad, supports his father actively in his opposition to Bashar.
- Lamia, is married to 'Ala al-Fayad, the son of Shafiq al-Fayad (former Syrian GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
). - Mudar al-Assad, is married to May Haydar, daughter of the Syrian multimillionaire Muhammad Haydar.
- Tumadhir, is married to Mu'ein Nasef Kheir Bek (also from the Kalabiyya tribe), who is indirectly related by marriage and blood to Abd al-Halim Khaddam, Rafik HaririRafik HaririRafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
and the influential Homs al-Atassi-FamilyAtassiAtassi, also spelled Atasi is the name of a prominent family of city Notables in Homs, Syria dating back to the 16th century AD. Members of the family lead the national movement against the French mandate...
.
- Ribal al-Assad, has lived since he was nine years old abroad, currently in the United States
- Sister of Hafez al-Assad married into the Shalish family.
- Gen. Dhu al-Himma Shalish (born 1956), a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, is the head of presidential security and is part of the inner circle of leadership of the Bashar al-Assad regime. He had sanctions placed on him by the US government for supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein and his regime.On 24 June 2011 the EU sanctioned him for being involved in violence against demonstrators during the 2011 Syrian uprising.
- Asef Isa Shalish, nephew of Dhu al-Himma, is the manager of SES, a company that was involved in the weapons trade with Iraq and Iran.
- Riyad Shalish is a cousin of Bashar Assad and the director of the governmental construction organization the Military Housing Establishment, which during the 1990s he managed to transform into his own company. He made a fortune on construction and contracting deals in Syria involving large scale projects financed by other Arab states. On 24 June 2011 the EU sanctioned him for providing funding to the regime to repress protesters of the 2011 Syrian uprising.
- Gen. Dhu al-Himma Shalish (born 1956), a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, is the head of presidential security and is part of the inner circle of leadership of the Bashar al-Assad regime. He had sanctions placed on him by the US government for supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein and his regime.On 24 June 2011 the EU sanctioned him for being involved in violence against demonstrators during the 2011 Syrian uprising.
- About Hafez' siblings who died early: Bayat, Bahijat and an unknown sister almost nothing is known.
Anisa's siblings (Makhlouf family)
The Makhloufs belong to the AlawiAlawi
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
Haddad tribe, both Hafez and Rifaat are related through marriage to the Makhloufs. The net worth of the family was estimated in 2006 to be around three billion dollars.
- Muhammad Makhlouf (born 1932), made a fortune, both through management of state companies and in the private sector.
- Rami MakhloufRami MakhloufRami Makhlouf is a wealthy Syrian businessman and the maternal cousin of President Bashar Assad. He is the main owner of Syriatel and according to the Financial Times he is thought to control as much as 60% of the Syrian economy through his web of business interests that include...
(born 1969), is a wealthy businessman and the main owner of SyriaTelSyriatelSyriatel Mobile Telecom PLCfounded in Nov 2001Capital: SYP 3.350 billionCommon shares: 134 millionStock Par value: SYP25 Syriatel leads the Syrian mobile telecommunication market since 2000, Syriatel believes that the first responsibility is to offer the customers a wide array of high quality...
. According to the Financial Times he is thought to control as much as 60% of the economy through his web of business interests that include telecommunications, oil and gas, construction, banking, airlines and retail, and he is widely seen as the business arm of the Assad regime. - Col. Hafez MakhloufHafiz MakhlufHafiz Makhluf is a Syrian colonel and a senior official at the General Security Directorate. Makhluf is a maternal cousin to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He is also the brother of Rami Makhluf, Syria’s leading businessman...
(born 1971), is the deputy director of the General Security DirectorateGeneral Security Directorate (Syria)The General Security Directorate is the most important civil intelligence service of Syria.- Organization :Its divisions are:*Division of Homeland Security*Division of External Security*Division of Palestinian Affairs...
and intelligence chief of the Damascus branch. He works under Ali Mamlouk but enjoys far greater influence with his cousin, Bashar al-Assad. He, along with Maher al-Assad, Assef Shawkat and Dhu al-Himma Shalish, comprise the inner circle of leadership. - Iyad Makhlouf (born 1973), twin of Ihab Makhlouf, is a General Security DirectorateGeneral Security DirectorateThe General Security Directorate was the intelligence agency of Iraq. It was announced by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at a press conference in July 2004 in a climate of widespread violence by terrorist groups and the Iraqi insurgency...
officer. The EU sanctioned him for being involved in violence against the civilian population during the 2011 Syrian uprising. - Ihab Makhlouf (born 1973), twin of Iyad Makhlouf, is Vice-President of SyriaTelSyriatelSyriatel Mobile Telecom PLCfounded in Nov 2001Capital: SYP 3.350 billionCommon shares: 134 millionStock Par value: SYP25 Syriatel leads the Syrian mobile telecommunication market since 2000, Syriatel believes that the first responsibility is to offer the customers a wide array of high quality...
and caretaker for Rami Makhlouf's US company. The EU sanctioned him for providing funding to the Assad regime and allowing violence against demonstrators in the 2011 Syrian uprising2011 Syrian uprisingThe 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
. He is believed to be in charge of the sniper units that are being used to shoot at protestors in the uprising.
- Rami Makhlouf
- Fatma Makhlouf, sister of Anisa Makhlouf.
- Atef NajibAtef NajibAtef Najib was the political security chief in the city of Daraa, and is a cousin of President Assad.-References:...
, is the former head of Political Security DirectoratePolitical Security DirectoratePolitical Security Directorate is an intelligence service of Syria. It is active against the opposition. It runsdetention centres . It is divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Department. It monitors political dissent and registered parties are surveilled, too....
in Deraa. The EU sanctioned him for being involved in violence against demonstrators in the 2011 Syria uprising.
- Atef Najib
- Gen. Adnan Makhlouf, brother of Anisa, former commander of the Republican Guard.
Hafez' cousins
- Adnan al-Assad, Leader of "Struggle companies" militia in DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. - Muhammad al-Assad, Another leader of the "Struggle companies".
- Gen. Shafiq Fayyad, cousin of Hafez from his aunt in the village of Ayn al-Arus in Jableh. Former commander of the Third Armored Division.
Other relatives
- Numeir al-Assad, second degree cousin of Hafez' children, led a criminal gang in LatakiaLatakiaLatakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
and was arrested after he robbed a bank.
External links
- Bashar al-Assad's inner circle, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 10 May 2011 - Syria's Leaders, Esther Pan, Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, 10 March 2006