File photo - Syrian head of state Bashar al-Assad and London-born wife Asma al-Assad appear to live in a surreal psychological bubble, insulated from the grotesque violence that has claimed the lives of 8,000 Syrians, according to a cache of some 3,000 alleged emails and documents obtained by Syrian activists and published by the Guardian issue dated March 15, 2012. File photo : © Ammar Abd Rabbo/ABACA. 53881-3. Damascus-Syria. December 13, 2003. Syrian First Lady Asma Al Assad inaugurates "MAWRED", a "business incubator" project supported by the European Union and dedicated to support young businesswomen in Syria.