Aniseh al Assad: Queen of Syria

Aniseh al Assad: Queen of Syria

--------Lakshmi Priya

On 6th February 2016 Syria's former first lady Aniseh al Assad and Queen of Syria left for the heavenly abode. If former Israeli Intelligence officer Amos Gilboa's statement "Assad is Syria and Syria is Assad" holds true, Aniseh Makhlouf who provided that conducive domestic environment for Hafiz al Assad so that he could build Syria deserves half the credit. Though remaining behind the scene she held control over politics, a legacy very well carried forward by her daughter Bushra al Assad with whom she spent last days of her life in Dubai in wake of turmoil in Syria.

Aniseh belonged to Makhlouf family of Syrian village called Bustan al Basha. The term Makhlouf means 'Recompensated by God'. The family called itself as Makhlouf since during famine of First World War Aniseh's grandfather provided food and shelter to the needy. This legacy was continued by her father and uncle as well. After completing her education at Convent of the Sacred Heart at Banyas, run by the French she took teaching as a profession. Hafiz al Assad fell in love with her on his return from the training course in Egypt. Aniseh, a quiet girl of unblemished reputation, had a mind of her own and was a good judge of character. She was impressed by Assad's respect for village life and culture despite being intelligent and ambitious which set him apart from most Alawi men around. But there were problems to be overcome before the young lovers could marry. Aniseh belonged to a well to do notable family whereas Assad belonged to a peasant family which had gained respect in Qardaha by standing against such notables. Assad and Aniseh's family were also at opposite ends politically due to which Aniseh's father was opposed to the match. Baath and its socialist leanings which impacted Assad was to be blamed for it. But this match was supported by his aunt Sada, who was married in Makhlouf family and Aniseh's mother who liked Assad due to his good conduct and manners. As a bachelor, Assad was a young man a mother could trust, with no record of rough behaviour. He had not courted anyone else or frequented cafes or cabarets. From an early age he had been looking for a stable marital life which would free him for a life of professional achievements. Crossing these obstacles he got married to Aniseh at Mezze, a poor district in Syria in 1957.

In their first few years of marriage Assad could not afford to give her the comforts of life she was used to. It was a considerable degradation in Aniseh's comforts and regards as compared to a notables' daughter. But neither such hardships, nor ups and downs of army and political life could pull her down. Apart from being a devoted wife and mother she proved to be the Assad's most trusted confidante and provided him a domestic environment of unquestioned respectability which definitely helped him focus on his professional career in a better manner. Along with mental peace, his marriage in the Makhlouf clan helped him stand on a higher pedestal in the eyes of Alawi community and also led to his growing self confidence. In turn, Makhlouf family gained wealth and status through Aniseh's marriage with Assad. They got contracts in key industries especially telecommunications, banking and oil. Aniseh's nephew Rami is regarded as Syria's wealthiest man who was portrayed as a symbol of regime's corruption by the Syrian opposition.

Syrian writer Ayman Abdel Nour, who went to college with Bashar, says there was distance between Bashar and his father and Aniseh was the mother, father and mentor of the family. Aniseh was an influential figure within the regime despite keeping an extremely low profile over the years (she was not even seen during media coverage of her husband's funeral). She remained out of public life throughout Assad's presidency and her views on succession were never made public. She hardly appeared in public with her husband but for sure had a considerable influence on the regime. Even after Hafiz al Assad's death, when Bashar al Assad took charge, she was considered as the First lady instead of Asma al Assad and was supposed to wield enough influence over her son Bashar al Assad. When Arab Spring touched Syria in 2011 and giving Bashar a taste of unrest, she is said to have pushed Assad to crack down hard on protestors taking a leaf from her husband's reaction to the 1982 Islamist uprising. She passed away after witnessing death of her husband, two sons Bassel and Majd and son in law Assef Shawket. She is survived by her daughter Bushra al Assad, and two sons Bashar and Maher.






She held a "Queen of Hearts" card on Al Arabiya's "Lion's Den"; an interactive info-graphic gallery which features and tracks prominent members of the Syrian regime and Assad's inner circle.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-aniseh-makhlouf-mother-of-syria-s-bashar-al-assad-dies-2174905
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http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-aniseh-makhlouf-mother-of-syria-s-bashar-al-assad-dies-2174905
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http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-aniseh-makhlouf-mother-of-syria-s-bashar-al-assad-dies-2174905