Introducing...We call her Emma
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Who is Emma before marrying Bashar al-Assad?
I received a British education. What I did have, though, was a Syrian environment within our family. So I was very aware of Syrian values and cultures and traditions. This is Emma, or at least that's how this softly spoken British woman was once known to friends and family. She was a middle-class Londoner with a bright future ahead of her. I remember like just laughing really hard with her. She's totally charming and she knows how to light up a room. In the late 90s, Emma played tennis at the weekends and she was a high-flying banker. But all of that changed when she married the president of Syria and moved to Damascus. There, she became known as Asma al-Assad.
What changes occurred in Syria after the Arab Spring?
Her looks, learning and style have made her an icon in Syria. She's being compared to Princess Diana and Jackie Kennedy. Asma al-Assad is different, the darling of Damascus. She's like a supermodel and he's like a nerd. She and her husband were the face of a new Syria filled with hope. He is so easy to talk to. You can talk to him about anything and everything, and that's great. It was a long fall from grace to where she is now, hiding with her husband from the alleged crimes against humanity committed during a brutal 13-year conflict. It is estimated more than 100,000 people disappeared. Torture and forced disappearances were a family business.
How did Emma's life transform after becoming Asma al-Assad?
I wondered how this English woman I had met, who so believed in the youth of Syria, could stand by and not do anything. I really wondered about it. For months now, I've been investigating this mysterious woman and I've been trying to understand how she went from a comfortable life in London to being accused of war crimes on the other side of the world. Because not only did she stand by her husband throughout the war. Because my conviction didn't tell me otherwise. She's been accused of getting her own hands dirty in the process. No, she knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to be the first lady. But what did she really know about the atrocities her husband's regime was carrying out? And what choices did she really make?
What accusations are made against Asma al-Assad?
I got the sense that if she tried to leave, she'd be knocked off or something. I don't think she had a choice. Some of the people I've spoken to think she should face trial, that she profited from the war and that she was intimately involved in the regime. She sold her soul to the devil in exchange of the money. Others are convinced she's been misunderstood.
What conflicting views exist about Emma's role in the Syrian regime?
It seems to me completely at odds with the person that I dealt with in Syria. So who is the real Emma?
Our new series, We Call Her Emma, is coming out on Tuesday, July 7th. To get early and ad-free access to episodes when the series launches, you can subscribe today wherever you're listening. You can also subscribe directly on our website at observer.co.uk slash subscribe and use the code AUDIO50 for 50% off.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Who is Emma before marrying Bashar al-Assad?
0:01–0:47
2
What changes occurred in Syria after the Arab Spring?
0:47–1:36
3
How did Emma's life transform after becoming Asma al-Assad?
1:36–2:28
4
What accusations are made against Asma al-Assad?
2:28–2:51
5
What conflicting views exist about Emma's role in the Syrian regime?
2:51–3:37