Suheir Atassi
| Suheir al-Atassi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Suheir Atassi in 2013 | |
| Vice President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces | |
|
In office 12 November 2012 – 4 January 2015 Serving with Riad Seif | |
| President | Moaz al-Khatib |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Noura al-Ameer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1971 (age 45–46) |
| Nationality | Syrian |
| Relations | Jamal al-Atassi (father) |
| Alma mater | Damascus University |
| Occupation |
Vice-president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Lawyer |
| Known for |
Democracy activist Women's activist Secular activist |
Suheir al-Atassi (سهير الأتاسي Suhair al-ʾAtāsī; born 1971) is the leading female secular activist in the Syrian opposition, and since November 2012 co-vice-president of the opposition government.[1] She has been called the "Lady of the Revolution" and is widely respected in secular and intellectual circles within the Syrian opposition structure.[2] 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 who later left and founded the Democratic Arab Socialist Union.[3]
Atassi was born in Damascus in 1971 to a prominent political family from Homs. She is daughter of Jamal al-Din al-Atassi, prominent pan-Arabist in Syria.[4] She studied French literature and education at the University of Damascus, and was active in the Damascus Spring, helping to form and run the Jamal al-Atassi Forum. She revived the forum online in 2009 in order to help promote democracy and human rights in Syria.[5] 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 that the Assistance Coordination Unit, the 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.[6]
References
- ↑ Syria crisis: Gulf states recognise Syria opposition
- ↑ Parker, Joel (May 31, 2013). "Assad May Defeat Opposition". Sharnoff's Global Views. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Q&A: Syrian activist Suhair Atassi". Al Jazeera. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
- ↑ "Who are the members of Syria's opposition delegation?". The New Arab.
- ↑ "Suhair al-Atassi". Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- ↑ Lauren Williamn, 'Atassi resigns as vice president for Syria National Coalition', The Daily Star, 4 December 2013, online: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Dec-04/239831-atassi-resigns-as-vice-president-for-syria-national-coalition.ashx#axzz2mdZbdHLd
