Know Asma al-Assad, the glamorous First Lady of Syria (in pics)

New Delhi: Asma al- Assad, the wife of Syria's President Bashar Al Assad is one of the most glamorous, young and very chic first ladies of the world. While her husband is fighting a civil war in which thousands of civilians are being killed through use of chemical weapons, Asma stood by him and supports him through thick and thin. Let us explore Asam al-Assad's life: 1. Asma Akhras was born on 11 August, 1975 in London. Her parents are of Syrian origin and Sunni Muslims. Her father Fawaz Akhras, was a consultant cardiologist at the Cromwell Hospital, London, and his wife Sahar Akhras, a retired diplomat. 2. She graduated from King's college in London in 1996 with a Bachelor's degree in computer science and French literature. 3. After graduation, she started work at Deutsche Bank Group and later in 1998 she joined J.P. Morgan as an investment banker. 4. Asma met Bashar in London when he was undergoing training as an eye surgeon. They fell in love; Asma moved to Syria and married Bashar in December 2000 after he took presidency. 5. The couple then had three kids Hafez, Zein, and Karim. 6. Syria's first lady caught media attention for her glamorous outfits and stylish looks. She was featured in fashion magazines too. 7. As the first lady of Syria, initially she had become an epitome of women rights and education. She had also founded national umbrella charity called the Syrian Trust for Development. 8. But her public image was destroyed when the Syrian civil war happened. She was widely condemned for remaining silent on the issue. 9. After a year of civil war, Asma had then given an official statement to the media- “The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the first lady supports him in that role.” 10. She had also been criticized for her luxurious shopping trips while the country was collapsing due to the civil war. 11. During the Syrian bloodshed, Asma was busy spending on luxury items and watches. The UK's daily had revealed that she has a habit of ordering Western food for her children, purchasing a $450,000 chandelier last year and posting pictures of herself wearing fitness accessories. 12. Leaked emails show that Asma used a fake American address for online shopping. 13. She bought music and apps from iTunes, splashed out more than £10,000 on tables and other furniture from Paris and even got a fondue set from Amazon. 14. Details of Asma's sprees were among thousands of emails received and sent by her and Assad and intercepted by the rebels between last June and February.