Suheir al-Atassi (; born 1971) is a Syrian
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
activist in the
Syrian opposition
Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...
, and co-vice-president of the
between November 2012 and December 2013. She has been called the "Lady of the Revolution" and is widely respected in secular and intellectual circles within the Syrian opposition structure. She had previously run the media wing of the banned
Jamal Atassi Forum, which was named after her father, a founding member of the
Ba'ath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ( ' ), also known simply as Bath Party (), was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism, which is an ideology ...
who later left and founded the
Democratic Arab Socialist Union.
Suheir Atassi was born in Damascus in 1971 to a prominent
political family
A political family (also referred to as political dynasty) is a family in which multiple members are involved in politics — particularly Election, electoral politics. Members may be related by consanguinity, blood or marriage; often several gene ...
from
Homs
Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
. She is daughter of
Jamal al-Din al-Atassi, prominent
pan-Arabist in Syria. She studied
French literature
French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by French people, French citizens; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of Franc ...
and education at the
University of Damascus, and was active in the
Damascus Spring
The Damascus Spring (, ) was a period of intense political and social debate in Ba'athist Syria which started after the death of President Hafez al-Assad in June 2000 and continued to some degree until autumn 2001, when most of the activities as ...
, helping to form and run the Jamal al-Atassi Forum. She revived the forum online in 2009 in order to help promote
democracy
Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
and human rights in Syria. On 16 March 2011 she was arrested for her activities. After her release, she had to go into hiding before fleeing Syria to Jordan and then France.
In December 2013, Atassi resigned as Vice-President of the exile 'National Coalition' after the Assistance Coordination Unit, an opposition aid agency, went on strike over claims of mismanagement of aid delivery and funding. She said she would keep her position as chairwoman for the Assistance Coordination Unit, based in Turkey. On 25 April 2018, Atassi resigned from the National Coalition itself, citing the SNC's relations with
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
.
References
1971 births
Living people
Damascus University alumni
Syrian democracy activists
Syrian dissidents
Syrian feminists
Syrian critics of religions
Anti-Assad politicians of the Syrian civil war
Prisoners and detainees of Syria
Politicians from Damascus
Suheir
Syrian people of Turkish descent
Former National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces members
21st-century Syrian women politicians
21st-century Syrian politicians
{{Syria-politician-stub