‘I’m from a people who taught world to endure despite all odds’ – Asma Assad on her cancer battle
Syrian First Lady Asma Assad has addressed the public a day after revealing she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, saying she shares the same resilience as her compatriots who have endured the hardships of war.
“I belong to the [Syrian] people who’ve taught the world the endurance, the strength and facing the odds,” said Asma’s statement in Arabic, released by the Syrian presidency. The mother of three said she’s been empowered by the “determination and strength” of the Syrian people which has only grown in the recent years.
The Syrian presidency announced Wednesday that the 42 year old had a malignant breast tumor. The post was accompanied by a photo of Asma and her husband, Syrian President Bashar Assad, sitting at a Damascus hospital.
Asma Assad was born to Syrian parents in London and graduated from King’s College there. In 2000, the Syrian-British national married Bashar Assad. The couple have three children: Hafez, Zein and Kareem.
The first lady has long been involved in charity work, and has launched a number of organizations under the charity sector of the Syrian government. Photos on her official Instagram account and media agencies often show her visiting children, injured soldiers or religious minorities.
Back in 2016, while speaking to Russia’s Rossiya 24 channel, Asma Assad said that the Western world is “dividing our children in this conflict according to the political beliefs of their parents.” She accused the mainstream media of concentrating only on those stories which bolstered their narrative and agenda. “These are all children, they are all innocent children and they are all a loss to Syria, irrespective of which side of the conflict we support,” she said.
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