Syrian Alawite actress who led anti-Assad protests dies in Paris
dpa
BEIRUT (dpa) - Syrian actress of Alawite descent, Fadwa Suleiman, who became famous for leading Sunni-majority protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, died in Paris from cancer, according to opposition groups.
The Opposition Syrian National Council mourned Suleiman as a "symbol of the revolution."
Born in 1970 in Aleppo, the actress who performed in numerous plays and TV dramas became known in 2011 for leading chants against al-Assad in the central province of Homs.
She participated in funerals of students who were killed and celebrated the Arab League's decision to freeze Syria's membership. Protesters considered her a hero and an icon of the Syrian revolution.
As the regime's intensified its campaign against dissidents, she cut her hair very short and moved her residency to avoid arrest. Later, she escaped to France with her husband, where she got asylum.
She is one of few Alawites to stand against al-Assad, who belongs to the same minority sect.
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She participated in funerals of students who were killed and celebrated the Arab League's decision to freeze Syria's membership. Protesters considered her a hero and an icon of the Syrian revolution.
As the regime's intensified its campaign against dissidents, she cut her hair very short and moved her residency to avoid arrest. Later, she escaped to France with her husband, where she got asylum.
She is one of few Alawites to stand against al-Assad, who belongs to the same minority sect.
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