First Lady Asma al-Assad: When we talk about Damascus, we are talking about history itself

Syrian First Lady Asma al-Assad went to Spain to attend the elebrations of Damascus as Capital of Arab Culture at an event at the Alhambra Palace in Granada on January 31, 2008. Accompanied by Queen Sophia of Spain, the First Lady attended a spectacular concert by the young Syrian singer Waed Abu Hassoun, a brilliant player of the lute, performing the poetry of Wallada Bint al-Mustaki, the legendary princess of Cordoba during the Umayyad Empire, and her lover, Ibn Zaydun, another great poet from the Umayyad Era.

In addition to Abu Hassoun was the performance of the Spanish band Pina`nas, composed of three-brothers who were performing the words of Ibn Arabi, the Sui mystic and philosopher. The breath-taking palace, which mirrors the greatness of Arab architecture in Spain, was once described as “a pearl set in diamonds” due to the brilliant color of its buildings and the luxuriant woods around them. Once the residence of the Muslim kings of Granada, the Alhambra Palace—known in Arabic as al-Hamra, is now a museum of Islamic architecture. Enclosed by strongly fortified walls, and lanked by 13-towers, the Alhambra Palace is one of the treasured sites of UNESCO. The greatness of the palace itself, the charm and elegance of the First Lady and Queen, along with the heavenly voice of Waed Abu Hassoun, all made the magical event at the Alhambra Palace a groundbreaking success—to say the least. It reminded the world of the greatness of Arab and Islamic culture, taste, and beauty. Nizar Qabbani, the famous Syrian poet, once said that the Arabs went to Spain as lovers—not conquerors—and took pride in what they saw and left behind in Granada. This time, centuries later, Granada greeted the First Lady as a lover as well; elegant, eloquent, charming, and impassioned about the history of Damascus and its effects on world culture and heritage. From Madrid, she spoke to a Spanish news agency about her trip to Granada, the event at the Alhambra Palace, and what all of this means for Damascus as it celebrates being Capital of Arab Culture in 2008. What does it mean for Syria and its citizens that Damascus has been selected as the Arab Capital of Culture for 2008?

It provides us all with a great sense of pride and optimism. When you talk about Damascus you are talking about history itself. It is probably the only city in the world where our histories Dialogue should not aim at converting our partners to our own point of view, but to cooperate with them in creating fresh insight. meet and many of our histories began, so it’s a very special place. This cultural year will provide us with an opportunity to relect on our past, and extend an invitation to other cultures and peoples to come and celebrate our diverse cultural richness. It will also provide us with an opportunity to reinvest in the future by ensuring that our young talented artists are provided with the right environment to ensure they continue to lourish and that our culture thrives as a result. Damascus’ history and present reality teaches us that it is possible to live and interact within a diversity of cultures and religions, and that societies can be enriched rather than threatened as a result. That is our message from Damascus this year. You have just visited Granada, the ‘sister city’ of Damascus. How do you think this sisterhood between Syria and Spain can be further developed, since they are two different countries that at the same time, are similar in their culture and history? Precisely with events like last night. The concert that both Queen Sofia and I attended is a modern example of the way our cultures and experiences continue to interact in a colorful way. In the 8th century, scholars from all around Europe came to Andalusia; their encounter with Islam provided them with new insight and fresh perspective. As a result, science, the arts, culture and of course architecture thrived. This is a unique message. You are right that Spain and Syria share a similar culture and history. But we also have the same ancestors – so in many ways, we are part of the same family. But this should not make us complacent, in fact it should motivate us to continue to strengthen existing ties and build new bridges as our respective societies continue to develop and prosper. I also believe that both Spain and Syria have much to offer on a world stage, especially since one of the global debates today is about the perceived clash of civilizations. Spain has played a pioneering role in the recent UN sponsored Alliance of Civilizations, which Syria supports greatly. Our histories and our modern experiences continue to show a different reality of tolerance and harmony which we must share with others around the world. Dialogue should not aim at converting our partners to our own point of view, but to cooperate with them in creating fresh insight.

You have a close relationship with Queen Soia of Spain. What values and concerns do you share with her and Spain’s Royal family? You have a close relationship with Queen Soia of Spain. What values and concerns do you share with her and Spain’s Royal family? Queen Sofia is a very, very special lady. She has an incredible natural talent of being able to reach out to people, to remove barriers, to create connections. And in public life it is all too easy to lose sight of the big picture, of what really counts and the real issues facing people in day to day life. It is so important to continue to engage on an active basis with people from all walks of life, listening to their concerns and aspirations. In that way, the resulting change is more successful and tangible. Ultimately we share a common desire to see peace and stability throughout the world. For me, the search for peace and stability can never be separated from hope and opportunity, and hope and opportunity are just another name for education and prosperity. You are committed to many projects and have become an exceptional ambassador for Syria all over the world. What are your inner driving reasons for such a hectic activity? What are the goals you have set for yourself in this regard? I am lucky that my responsibilities are exactly where my passion is. My passion is to help my country develop and realize its full potential. In so many areas, I see as yet untapped opportunities for Syria to develop and prosper – that is what drives me every day. This is probably the most apparent in our young people. As 60% of our population is under 25, young people not only hold the key to Syria’s future but are also an active part of her present. They need to be the owners of the change process today to ensure that they can realise their great potential tomorrow. Does your involvement and support for “Women in Education” and Syrian Business Women relect your desire for a greater involvement of women in the development process in the Middle East? It reflects my desire to see greater participation from everybody in the Middle East, regardless of gender, age or social background. For development and change to be successful it’s got to happen with us and by us, rather than from somebody else and by somebody else. Across the region, the economic and social development march is in full swing. This continues to provide increased opportunities and challenges. Businesses, whether they are headed by men or women, are increasingly entering new industries, tacking on new challenges and expanding their horizons. In an increasingly global and dynamic environment, our education systems continue to see improvement. Increased spending on education and more focus on skills are ensuring that illiteracy rates are coming down, enrolment rates are going up and our children have a healthy appetite for knowledge. Even on the political front, we continue to see progress, not least in Syria. Two years ago, we were the first, and until now only Arab state to appoint a woman vice president. Change is also happening on the social front, we are increasingly seeing a significant number of NGOs and civil society initiatives springing up, ensuring greater participation from individuals and communities. We need to continue to work at creating the right environment in the Middle East, where everybody is able to participate and provide a responsible and productive contribution. You have set up many new initiatives within Syria; different programs to promote rural development. You are also channelling many resources and efforts to different educational youth projects, many of which, are very innovative. Big changes are taking place. Are you following tested examples from abroad or are you being a pioneer with these methods? If I have learned anything in the past couple of years, it’s that for any type of development to be successful, for it to be sustainable, it’s got to include the direct beneficiaries as a core part of the process. They need to be actively involved. This not only ensures local ownership, which is vital for sustainability, but it also ensures that needs and priorities are properly addressed and clearly identified. What we are doing in Syria is bringing together our own experiences and models with those from other countries, exchanging insight, success stories and lessons learned. That way we create models that are right for Syria and for the people in Syria. Is this specific to young people? As I said, we are using our own experiences and insight, and benefiting from the experiences and insight of others. This is being applied to many areas of the reform process in Syria, whether it’s social, economic or educational. Even yesterday in Granada I visited a science park, something very similar to a project we are developing in Damascus. I instantly saw an opportunity for cooperation and mutual benefit and I will definitely follow-up the relationship when I am home. What has been the most profound change you have experienced? Becoming First Lady, or becoming a mother? Both roles didn’t come with a guide book or a manual you can read and implement the next day! One of the major differences is that most women hope to become mothers, but I doubt that most women expect to become First Ladies! Having said that being First Lady is not who I am, but rather what I do and how I influence and support the development process in my country. In the work I do today, I have found that it is vital to create the right mix between strategic objectives and plans and practical and workable solutions on the ground. Being a mother is a better reflection of who I am as a person. With each of the thousand-and-one challenges that present themselves in family life, we have a choice; we can either teach or control, we can either create an environment that is built on trust or distrust, we can either set an example of power and authority or we can help our children to learn responsibility. I guess it’s the difference between quick-ix parenting and the kind that’s focused on long-term impact. What values would you like to pass on to your children? You are known for following very closely and personally their education. Are you planning to offer them a conservative education due to their future responsibilities and roles or are they going to form part of the modern generation you are promoting? I think what we need to do as parents, one thing I try to do as a mother, whether my children are writing, playing sports, playing music or a computer game – is to do everything possible to help them fall in love with what they’re doing. So focusing less on how successful they were (or are likely to be) and show more interest in the task itself. That’s just another way of saying we need to encourage more, judge less, and love always. Conservative education? How can education be conservative if it is going to be useful and deliver the required results? I think as parents we need to encourage and support our children to think outside the box, to explore new horizons and develop their own experiences. I would actually take it one step further and say we should not be afraid to teach our children to take risks, or even play with ire, what is important is that they have the right tools available to them to make sure they don’t get burned! As for their future responsibilities? They share the same future and the same responsibilities as all the other 10 million young people in Syria – to be able to take an active and responsible role in the future development of our country, whilst safeguarding our national heritage. I always try to create an environment for my children, ensuring that they learn about our national culture and heritage in a way that empowers them to take on new challenges of modern times.