The British newspaper the Guardian on Wednesday published a cache of emails exchanged between Syrian President Bashar Assad, his wife Asma and their close circle, shedding light on the dictator’s life during the year since the violence uprising in Syria erupted.

Assad is computer savvy; he uses an iPad, sending and receiving articles to and from friends and advisors, including one article claiming media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is Jewish; he downloads songs from iTunes and sends them to his wife, including for example the song “God Gave Me You,” by singer Blake Shelton, the emails reveal.

Asma Assad seems to be mostly occupied with the purchase of luxury goods. Many of the emails the Guardian obtained are correspondence regarding the purchase of shoes, candle sticks, furniture, and jewelry from London and Paris retailers.

The Guardian emails reveal a cocooned life shielded from the violence engulfing the country. The United Nations says Assad’s security forces have killed more than 7,500 civilians since the revolt began last March. Syria’s government said in December that “armed terrorists” had killed more than 2,000 soldiers and police during the unrest.

In one email, Assad responds to the news of his wife’s finishing her activities at 5 p.m. by writing: “This is the best reform any country can have that u told me where will you be, we are going to adopt it instead of the rubbish laws of parties, elections, media …”

Another email published by the Guardian has Asma writing her husband: “If we are strong together, we will overcome this together…I love you…”

For more, go to haaretz.com

This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.

We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.

This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.

With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.

The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.

Don't just read the Forward - invest in it. Make a gift today.

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Support Our Work