Anisa Makhlouf

Anisa (or Aniseh) Makhlouf (Arabic: أَنِيسَةُ مَخْلُوفٍ, romanized: ʾAnīsah Maḵlūf, 5 November 1930 – 6 February 2016)[1] was the matriarch of the Syrian Al-Assad family, which has ruled the country since 1971. The wife of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Makhlouf held the position of First Lady of Syria from 1971 until 2000. Her son Bashar al-Assad has been the President of Syria since 2000.[2][3][4]

Anisa Makhlouf
أَنِيسَةُ مخلوف
Makhlouf in 1970
First Lady of Syria
In role
12 March 1971 – 10 June 2000
PresidentHafez al-Assad
Preceded bySalma al-Hasibi
Succeeded byAsma al-Assad
Personal details
Born(1930-11-05)5 November 1930
Latakia, Syria
Died6 February 2016(2016-02-06) (aged 85)
Damascus, Syria
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1957; died 2000)​
Children
Parent(s)Ahmed Makhluf
Sa'da Suleyman
RelativesAli Suleyman (uncle and father-in-law)
Aziz Suleyman (uncle)
Rami Makhlouf (nephew)

Biography

Makhlouf was born in Latakia, Syria, to the Makhloufs, an influential family from Bustan al-Basha, Latakia Governorate.[2][3][5] She was the daughter of Ahmed Makhlouf and Saada Sulayman al-Assad, Hafez al-Assad's aunt.[6]

Anisa with her husband Hafez and their children in the early 1970s.

She married Hafez al-Assad, an officer of the Syrian Arab Air Force, in 1957.[2] They had five children: Bushra (b. 1960), Bassel al-Assad (1962–1994), Bashar al-Assad (b. 1965), Majd al-Assad (1966–2009), and Maher al-Assad (b. 1967). Her marriage to Hafez al-Assad elevated the status and wealth of the Makhlouf family.[7] Her relatives were awarded lucrative contracts within the country's banking, oil and telecommunication sectors.[7] One nephew, Rami Makhlouf, is believed to be the wealthiest man in Syria, with a net worth of US$5 billion, as of 2012.[7]

According to the Tlass family, Hafez was never particularly fond of the staid and withdrawn Anisa, and had seriously considered divorcing her, or having a second wife used to entertain world leaders. One whose company he enjoyed more than Anisa was the more outgoing and affable Lamia Tlass, wife of Mustafa Tlass, who was also considering divorce due to his repeated infidelity.[8]

The Assad family, 1992-93

Following the death of Bassel al-Assad in 1994, Makhlouf favoured Maher al-Assad, her youngest son and a Syrian general, as a possible successor for her husband.[4] Instead, Bashar al-Assad returned from London, joined the military, and succeeded his father as President of Syria in 2000.[4]

The Economist described Anisa Makhlouf as "a formidable figure" within the al-Assad family and the Ba'athist government.[3] A highly influential member of the government, she was one of the few people with whom Bashar al-Assad regularly consulted during the Syrian Civil War.[3][7] She is believed to have advocated for a heavy, military crackdown on Syrian protesters and rebels during the ongoing Civil War.[3]

In 2012, Makhlouf, as well as other members of the Al-Assad family, were sanctioned by the European Union amid the country's civil war and attacks on protesters by the Syrian government.[2]

The EU sanctions included a travel ban and the freezing of her assets.[2] Prior to the travel ban, she had reportedly made frequent trips to Germany for medical treatments for an undisclosed illness.[2][3][9]

Death

Anisa Makhlouf died in Damascus on 6 February 2016 from undisclosed causes.[10]

Bibliography
  • Dagher, Sam (2019). Assad or we Burn the Country (First U.S. ed.). New York: Little, Brown & Company. ISBN 978-0316556705.

References
  1. One source cites 1934 as her year of birth (see p. 26), onpcsb.ro; accessed 9 July 2017.
  2. "Syrian president's mother Anissa Assad dies aged 86". Al Jazeera English. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  3. "The Assad family: Where are they now?". The Economist. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  4. Ali, Nour (11 October 2011). "At home with the Assads: Syria's ruthless ruling family". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  5. Bacias, Amanda (6 February 2016). "Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's mother has died". Reuters (Business Insider). Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  6. "سر نفوذ والد رامي مخلوف.. "قرابة" كشفتها "نعوته"". العربية (in Arabic). 13 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  7. Dow, Nicole (18 July 2012). "Getting to know Syria's first family". CNN. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  8. Dagher 2019, p. 96.
  9. "Bashar al-Assad's mother has fled Syria, US ambassador claims". The Daily Telegraph. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  10. "Syrian president's mother Anissa Assad dies aged 86". Al Jazeera. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
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