History UsefulNotes / BasharAlAssad

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]][[note]]Regarding Alawites being considered non-Muslims, that is, in fact, how most Muslims viewed Alawites until as late as the 20th century. At best, mainstream Muslims considered Alawites as something of a cult, since they're secretive even among the most mystical side of Sufis. The fact that their belief system goes against many traditional Islamic tenets (including many seemingly Christian-inspired doctrines and rituals such as belief in a Holy Trinity, the practice of something like a Catholic Mass, as well as stranger beliefs like reincarnation) just adds to their status as heretics. It wasn't until Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a prominent Palestinian activist, issued a fatwa in the 1930s recognizing the Alawites as Muslims (specifically, Shia Muslims) that the idea that they are even Muslims ''at all'' was seriously considered, and it's shaky at best. Even today, the identification of Alawites as Shia Muslims is seen as an act of political pragmatism to support the alliance between Syria and Iran, rather than a reflection of theological reality.[[/note]] The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

After the Islamic State was (mostly) dealt with, however, Assad's luck began to turn. With the help of Russia and Iran, the Syrian government slowly chipped away at the rebels. Homs, a strategic city located between the country's capital, Damascus, and the largest city, Aleppo, was captured in 2015, followed by Aleppo itself in 2016. In 2018, the government recaptured the the southern Governorates of Daraa and Quneitra, the "cradle of the revolution", as they were the first areas to rebel against the government. The rebels were forced to either stay and live under his rule, which would mean mandatory conscription and punishment to various degrees, or flee to the northwest, chiefly Idlib Governorate, the last zone still free of the Syrian government's reach. Assad's government has been besieging the northwest since then, though its movement is checked by UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}, the self-proclaimed protector of the revolution, which is worried that the collapse of the rebellion would trigger a massive humanitarian crisis, with millions of Syrians potentially crossing its borders.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]][[note]]Regarding Alawites being considered non-Muslims, in fact, [[OlderThanTheyThink it's actually closer to the perception the Muslim community had towards them before the 20th century]]. At best, mainstream Muslims considered Alawites as something of a cult, since they're secretive even among the most mystical side of Sufis. The fact that their belief system goes against many traditional Islamic tenets (including many seemingly Christian-inspired doctrines and rituals such as belief in a Holy Trinity, the practice of something like a Catholic Mass, as well as stranger beliefs like reincarnation) just adds to their status as heretics. It wasn't until Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a prominent Palestinian activist, issued a fatwa in the 1930s recognizing the Alawites as Muslims (specifically, Shia Muslims) that the idea that they are even Muslims ''at all'' was seriously considered, and it's shaky at best. Even today, the identification of Alawites as Shia Muslims is seen as a pragmatic way to support the relationship between the al-Assad clan and the majority-Shia Iran.[[/note]] The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

** As of 2020, Bashar has succeeded in capturing most of the country and is entering negotiation talks with the Kurds to get them surrender to him. The rebels, who at their strongest controlled more territory than Assad, have been reduced to a small corner in Syria's northwest, where they endure daily bombings and artillery attacks by the government. From the point of Syria's revolutionaries, The Bad Guy really does win (or is close to winning).

* ''Series/{{Messiah}}'' opens with Damascus being besieged by Islamic State and Assad is nowhere to be seen. However, a vandalized poster of his is shown during the prologue indicating that [[UncertainDoom something unpleasant happened to him]].

Bashar Hafez al-Assad (Born 11 September 1965, age 56) is the current President of UsefulNotes/{{Syria}}, who served since [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez_al-Assad his father]]'s death in 2000. Assad's rule is notoriously controversial, especially since the country is engulfed in a bloody CivilWar.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]][[note]]Regarding Alawites being considered non-Muslims, in fact, [[OlderThanTheyThink it's actually closer to the perception the Muslim community had towards them before the 20th century]]. At best, mainstream Muslims considered Alawites as something of a cult, since they're secretive even among the most mystical side of Sufis. The fact that their belief system goes against many traditional Islamic tenets (including many seemingly Christian-inspired doctrines and practices such as belief in a Holy Trinity, the practice of something like a Catholic Mass, as well as stranger beliefs like reincarnation) just adds to their status as heretics. It wasn't until Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a prominent Palestinian activist, issued a fatwa in the 1930s recognizing the Alawites as Muslims (specifically, Shia Muslims) that the idea that they are even Muslims ''at all'' was seriously considered, and it's shaky at best. Even today, the identification of Alawites as Shia Muslims is seen as a pragmatic way to support the relationship between the al-Assad clan and the majority-Shia Iran.[[/note]] The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]][[note]]Regarding Alawites being considered non-Muslims, in fact, [[OlderThanTheyThink it's actually closer to the perception the Muslim community had towards them before the 20th century]]. At best, mainstream Muslims considered Alawites as something of a cult, since they're secretive even among the most mystical side of Sufis. The fact that their belief system goes against many traditional Islamic tenets (including many seemingly Christian-inspired doctrines such as a Holy Trinity and the practice of something like a Catholic Mass, as well as stranger things like reincarnation) just adds to their status as heretics. It wasn't until Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a prominent Palestinian activist, issued a fatwa in the 1930s recognizing the Alawites as Muslims (specifically, Shia Muslims) that the idea that they are even Muslims ''at all'' was seriously considered, and it's shaky at best. Even today, the identification of Alawites as Shia Muslims is seen as a pragmatic way to support the relationship between the al-Assad clan and the majority-Shia Iran.[[/note]] The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]][[note]]Regarding Alawites being considered non-Muslims, in fact, [[OlderThanTheyThink it's actually closer to the perception the Muslim community had towards them before the 20th century]]. At best, mainstream Muslims considered Alawites as something of a cult, since they're secretive even among the most mystical side of Sufis. The fact that their belief system goes against many traditional Islamic tenets (including many seemingly Christian-inspired doctrines such as a Holy Trinity and something like a Catholic Mass, as well as stranger things like reincarnation) just adds to their status as heretics. It wasn't until Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a prominent Palestinian activist, issued a fatwa in the 1930s recognizing the Alawites as Muslims (specifically, Shia Muslims) that the idea that they are even Muslims ''at all'' was seriously considered, and it's shaky at best. Even today, the identification of Alawites as Shia Muslims is seen as a pragmatic way to support the relationship between the al-Assad clan and the majority-Shia Iran.[[/note]] The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]][[note]]Regarding Alawites being considered non-Muslims, in fact, [[OlderThanTheyThink it's actually closer to the perception the Muslim community had towards them before the 20th century]]. At best, mainstream Muslims considered Alawites as something of a cult, since they're secretive even among the most mystical side of Sufis. The fact that their belief system goes against many traditional Islamic tenets (including the existence of a Trinity, reincarnation, and Mass) just adds to their status as heretics. It wasn't until Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a prominent Palestinian activist, issued a fatwa in the 1930s recognizing the Alawites as Muslims (specifically, Shia Muslims) that the idea that they are even Muslims ''at all'' was seriously considered, and it's shaky at best. Even today, the identification of Alawites as Shia Muslims is seen as a pragmatic way to support the relationship between the al-Assad clan and the majority-Shia Iran.[[/note]] The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'' follows a [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed heavily dramatized version]] of Bashar al-Assad as Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed, a pediatrician who is forced to assume the role of dictator after his father's passing.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad (11 September 1965- ) is the current President of UsefulNotes/{{Syria}}, who served since his father's death in 2000. Assad's rule is notoriously controversial, especially since the country is engulfed in a bloody CivilWar.

All in all, Bashar al-Assad has survived 9 years of civil war that has [[LongList killed up to 580,000 people, uprooted 7.6 million people from their homes, forced 5.1 million people to flee the country, overwhelmed Syria's neighbors, caused a refugee crisis in Europe, created a period of terror that briefly encaptured the world, led to the rise of the far-right movement in Europe, and basically made everyone miserable]]. And he shows no signs of stopping.

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, facilitating the rise of Islamic State by releasing jihadists from the prisons and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power. On the other side, he has supporters who despite his authoritarian nature (or perhaps ''[[HobbesWasRight precisely]]'' because of it) view him as a stabilizing force against jihadists and fear of Syria collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to its neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}} after UsefulNotes/SaddamHussein's removal (this is of course a bit hypocritical, considering that Syria is basically a hellhole at this point, in a condition far worse than what Iraq endured after the 2003 American invasion. Even in its worst, Iraq didn't cause a whopping ''5 million'' people to flee the country, overwhelming its neighbors). Nevertheless, the West have been constantly criticizing him, however, with various sanctions slapped on him, his family, government, and the country in general, and blockades imposed by countries bordering Syria, choking off the economy (though by 2019, most have opened their borders; only Turkey and Israel -- which never had any relations with Syria anyway -- have yet to do so).

* ''Series/{{Messiah}}'' opens with Damascus being besieged by Islamic State and Assad is nowhere to be seen. However, a vandalized poster of his is shown during the prologue indicating that [[UncertainDoom something unpleasant happened to him]].

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria. This outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he crushed them in a brutal crackdown that targeted not just the radicals, but people who happened to live close to them. Independent estimates counted that up to 40,000 people were killed within the span of a month[[/note]]. The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb Islamic State with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iran}} directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the fundamentalists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition.

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, facilitating the rise of Islamic State by releasing jihadists from the prisons and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power. On the other side, he has supporters who despite his authoritarian nature (or perhaps ''[[HobbesWasRight precisely]]'' because of it) view him as an stabilizing force against jihadists and fear of Syria collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to its neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal (this is of course a bit hypocritical, considering that Syria is basically a hellhole at this point, in a condition far worse than what Iraq endured after the 2003 American invasion. Even in its worst, Iraq didn't cause a whopping ''6 million'' people to flee the country, overwhelming its neighbors). Nevertheless, the West have been constantly criticizing him, however, with various sanctions slapped on him, his family, government, and the country in general, and blockades imposed by countries bordering Syria, choking off the economy (though by 2019, most have opened their borders; only Turkey and Israel -- which never had any relations with Syria anyway -- have yet to do so).

* BetterTheDevilYouKnow: Those more reluctant to support Assad consider him an better alternative to the rebels and jihadists.
* BewareTheQuietOnes: He has been characterized as a soft-spoken and stoic figure in contrast to other Arab leaders, but also portrayed as extremely ruthless. In fact, this was what made Syria's brutal, world-affecting civil war even more astonishing. Western media was used to dealing with outspoken Arab leaders like Iraq's UsefulNotes/SaddamHussein or Libya's UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi, which was why their countries got all the spotlight, while Syria was almost unknown before the civil war erupted.

* {{Foil}}: He and Libya's UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi. Both are dictators who have ruled their respective countries for years, but their personalities couldn't be any different. Gaddafi was bombastic and very theatrical, while Assad is soft-spoken and largely content staying out of the public eye. Their fates post-Arab Spring are also opposed: Gaddafi died the same year Libya's civil war erupted, while Assad is still alive and going strong nine years into Syria's civil war.

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'' follows an [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed heavily dramatized version]] of Bashar al-Assad as Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed, a pediatrician who is forced to assume the role of dictator after his father's passing.

Bashar was the second son of Syrian strongman Hafez al-Assad, who led a series of coups in the 1960s that radically changed Syria. The first coup brought the Syrian branch of the Ba'ath Party to power, while the second purged the party of its Sunni Muslim and Christian leaders, leaving only the minority Alawites, of whom Hafez and his family belong to. Hafez ruled Syria as president for 29 years, installing a cult of personality revolving around his family. Bashar became Hafez's heir apparent in 1994, when his older brother, Bassel, died in a car accident. He was described as being a shy boy, uninterested in politics and the military, much unlike his brothers. Bashar assumed office in 2000, after Hafez's death, and allied his country with the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates during the UsefulNotes/WarOnTerror. In the beginning of his term, he was considered a "reformer" who would fix the issues left by his father such as the military intervention of UsefulNotes/{{Lebanon}}, democratization of their country and the hostility with UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} in order to normalize relationships with the Western world. However, the political system remained the same as Bashar continued to centralize his authority, silence the opposition and place family members in high position in the government.

Nevertheless, he remained a relatively quiet and unassuming figure in Middle-East politics during the 2000s. This changed in 2011, when UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring came along. As noted above, the Alawites basically controlled Syria as their fiefdom even though they constituted less than 15% of the population. Protesters, most of them made up of Sunni Muslims who formed over 75% of the population, began to erupt, with the reasons provided being disaffection over high unemployment and lack of political representation. However, Assad wasn't having none of that and cracked down ''hard'' on dissenters. The violent repression drew criticism from Western nations who pressured him to step down via sanctions, but when it became clear that Assad would not comply, the unrest in Syria soon turned into insurgency as armed rebel groups rose up to overthrow his regime, beginning the Syrian Civil War.

All in all, Bashar al-Assad has survived 9 years of civil war that has [[LongList killed up to 580,000 people, uprooted 7.6 million people from their homes, forced 5.1 million people to become refugees, overwhelmed Syria's neighbors, caused a refugee crisis in Europe, created a period of terror that briefly encaptured the world, led to the rise of the far-right movement in Europe, and basically made everyone miserable]]. And he shows no signs of stopping.

Born to the influential Alawite al-Assad family, Bashar became the heir apparent of his father Hafez following the deaths of his older brother. He was described as being a shy boy, uninterested in politics and the military, much unlike his brothers. Assad assumed office in 2000, after Hafez's death, and allied his country with the US during the UsefulNotes/WarOnTerror. In the beginning of his term, he was considered an "reformer" who would fix the issues left by his father such as the military intervention of Lebanon, democratization of their country and the hostility with Israel in order to normalize relationships with the Western world. However, the political system remained the same as Bashar continued to centralize his authority, silence the opposition and place family members in high position in the government.

Nevertheless, he remained a relatively quiet and unassuming figure in Middle-East politics... Until 2011 when the UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring came along. Protests led by (majority, but by no means exclusive to) Sunnis disaffected with high unemployment and lack of political representation erupted in Syria, but Assad wasn't having none of that and cracked down ''hard'' on dissenters. The violent repression drew criticism from Western nations who pressured him to step down via sanctions, but when it became clear that Assad would not comply, the unrest in Syria soon turned into insurgency as armed rebel groups rose up to overthrow his regime, beginning the Syrian Civil War.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria which outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he brutally crushed them[[/note]]. The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the terrorists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition. As of 2020, Assad has not only remained firmly in power, but also outlasted several Arab dictators who were overthrown or executed in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, facilitating the rise of ISIS by releasing jihadists from the prisons and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power. On the other side, he has supporters who despite his authoritarian nature (or perhaps ''[[HobbesWasRight precisely]]'' because of it) view him as an stabilizing force against jihadists and fear of Syrian collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to it's neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal. This has been largely influenced by the fact rebel forces were infiltrated by Islamists or outright colluded with them (which led to Western support - with the exception of Turkey - shifting to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces), and the Assad regime is regarded as "secular" [[note]]In one hand, many religious minorities like Alawites, Christians and Druze support him out of fear from Sunni radicals. On the other hand, he openly works with Shia militants from Hezbollah and Iran, so make of that what you will.[[/note]]. Complicating matters is Assad's revitalized antagonism towards the West and Israel, whom he accuses of fomenting the rebellion to force a regime change. The debate still remains and it's unlikely it will go away anytime soon.

* TheBadGuyWins: In the ''Film/LastMenInAleppo'' documentary, his Syrian Arab Army retakes Aleppo from the rebels.

* BewareTheQuietOnes: He has been characterized as a soft-spoken and stoic figure in contrast to other Arab leaders, but also portrayed as extremely ruthless.

* ''Series/{{Messiah}}'' opens with Damascus being besieged by ISIS and Assad is nowhere to be seen. However, a vandalized poster of his is shown during the prologue indicating that [[UncertainDoom something unpleasant happened to him]].

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'' follows an [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed heavily dramatized version]] of Bashar al-Assad as Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed, a pediatrician who is forced to assume the role of dictator after his father's passing.

Born to the influential Alawite al-Assad family, Bashar became the heir apparent of his father Hafez following the deaths of his older brother. He was described as being a shy boy, uninterested in politics and the military, much unlike his brothers. Assad assumed office in 2000, after Hezbollah's death, and allied his country with the US during the UsefulNotes/WarOnTerror. In the beginning of his term, he was considered an "reformer" who would fix the issues left by his father such as the military intervention of Lebanon, democratization of their country and the hostility with Israel in order to normalize relationships with the Western world. However, the political system remained the same as Bashar continued to centralize his authority, silence the opposition and place family members in high position in the government.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim for being an Alawite]] [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria which outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assassinate Hafez, but he brutally crushed them[[/note]]. The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the terrorists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition. As of late 2019, Assad has not only remained firmly in power, but also outlasted several Arab dictators who were overthrown or executed in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Born to the influential Alawite al-Assad family, Bashar became the heir apparent of his father Hafez following the deaths of his older brother. He was described as being a shy boy, uninterested in politics and the military, much unlike his brothers. Assad assumed office in 2000, after Hezbollah's death, and allied his country with the US during the UsefulNotes/WarOnTerror. In the beginning of his term, he was considered an "reformer" who would fix the issues left by his father such as the military intervention of Lebanon, democratization of their country and the hostility with Israel in order to normalize relationships with the Western world. However, the political system remained the same as Bashar continued to centralize his authority, silence the opposition and family members in high position in the government.

Nevertheless, he remained a relatively quiet and unassuming figure in Middle-East politics... Until 2011 when the UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring came along. Protests led by (majority, but by no means exclusive to) Sunnis disaffected with by high unemployment and lack of political representation erupted in Syria, but Assad wasn't having none of that and cracked down ''hard'' on dissenters. The violent repression drew criticism from Western nations who pressured him to step down via sanctions, but when it became clear that Assad would not comply, the unrest in Syria soon turned into insurgency as armed rebel groups rose up to overthrow his regime, beginning the Syrian Civil War.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim]] due to belonging to the small Alawite sect in Shia Islam [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria which outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assasinate Hafez, but he brutally crushed them[[/note]]. The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the terrorists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition. Initially the Free Syrian Army, but their unreliability and outright collusion with ISIS made them switch to the Kurdish-lead Syrian Democratic Forces, promising to establish an [[UsefulNotes/{{Kurdistan}} Kurdish homeland]]. As of late 2019, Assad has not only remained firmly in power, but also outlasted several Arab dictators who were overthrown or executed in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, facilitating the rise of ISIS by releasing jihadists from the prisons and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power. On the other side, he has supporters who despite his authoritarian nature (or perhaps ''[[HobbesWasRight precisely]]'' because of it) view him as an stabilizing force against jihadists and fear of Syrian collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to it's neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal. This has been largely influenced by the fact rebel forces were infiltrated by Islamists and the Assad regime is regarded as "secular" [[note]]In one hand, many religious minorities like Alawites, Christians and Druze support him out of fear from Sunni radicals. On the other hand, he openly works with Shia militants from Hezbollah and Iran, so make of that what you will.[[/note]]. Complicating matters is Assad's revitalized antagonism towards the West and Israel, whom he accuses of formenting the rebellion to force a regime change. The debate still remains and it's unlikely it will go away anytime soon.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim]] to belonging to the small Alawite sect in Shia Islam [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria which outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assasinate Hafez, but he brutally crushed them[[/note]]. The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the terrorists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition. Initially the Free Syrian Army, but their unreliability and outright collusion with ISIS made them switch to the Kurdish-lead Syrian Democratic Forces, promising to establish an [[UsefulNotes/{{Kurdistan}} Kurdish homeland]]. As of late 2019, Assad has not only remained firmly in power, but also outlasted several Arab dictators who were overthrown or executed in the wake of the Arab Spring.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse as his forces broke down against the rise of the Islamist groups who also sought to overthrow Assad because he is not considered [[NoTrueScotsman a true Muslim]] to belonging to the small Alawite sect in Shia Islam [[note]]In 1979, his father dealt with an Islamist uprising when he changed the constitution allowing non-Muslims to become the Presidents of Syria which outraged radical Sunnis who tried to assasinate Hafez, but he brutally crushed them[[/note]]. The most infamous of these was the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], who managed to conquer large swathes of land and became a threat not just to Assad, but other rebels and even ''other jihadists''. This lead to an international intervention by several foreign superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas the West partially changed the policy about Assad, choosing to ignore him in order to focus on the terrorists while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition. Initially the Free Syrian Army, but their unreliability and outright collusion with ISIS made them switch to the Kurdish-lead Syrian Democratic Forces, promising to establish an [[UsefulNotes/{{Kurdistan}} Kurdish homeland]]. As of late 2019, Assad has not only remained in power, but also outlasted several Arab dictators who were overthrown or executed in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, facilitating the rise of ISIS by releasing jihadists from the prisons and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power and that he should answer for his atrocities. On the other side, he has supporters who view him as an stabilizing force and fear of Syrian collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to it's neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal. This has been largely influenced by the fact rebel forces were infiltrated by Islamists and the Assad regime is regarded as "secular" [[note]]In one hand, many religious minorities like Alawites, Christians and Druze support him out of fear from Sunni radicals. On the other hand, he openly works with Shia militants from Hezbollah and Iran, so make of that what you will [[/note]]. Complicating matters is Assad's revitalized antagonism towards the West and Israel, whom he accuses of formenting the rebellion to force a regime change. The debate still remains and it's unlikely it will go away anytime soon.

* GloriousLeader: According to his supporters and media sympathetic of him.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad (11 September 1965- ) is the current President of UsefulNotes/Syria, who served since his father's death in 2000. Assad's rule is notoriously controversial, especially since the country is engulfed in a bloody CivilWar.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse not just because of the rebel groups, but also the rise of the [[TheHorde Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]], an [[TheFundamentalist radical Wahabi-Salafi]] [[MiddleEasternTerrorists jihadist group]] who managed to conquer large swathes of land from both Assad and the rebels and commit even more appalling atrocities. This lead to an international intervention by several superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas a USA-led coalition chose to ignore Assad in order to focus on the terrorists, while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition (initially the Free Syrian Army, but their unreliability and outright collusion with ISIS made them switch to the Kurdish-lead Syrian Democratic Forces until 2019 with the USA withdrawal from Syria).

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power and that he should answer for his atrocities. On the other side, he has supporters who view him as an stabilizing force and fear of Syrian collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to it's neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal. This has been largely influenced by the fact rebel forces were infiltrated by Islamists and the Assad regime is regarded as "secular" [[note]]Bashar's father Hafez implemented in the constitution that the President didn't need to be a Muslim, causing Islamists to rise up in 1979 and being brutally crushed[[/note]]. Complicating matters is Assad's revitalized antagonism towards the West and Israel, whom he accuses of formenting the rebellion to force a regime change. The debate still remains and it's unlikely it will go away anytime soon.

* BewareTheQuietOnes: He has been characterized as a soft-spoken and stoic figure in contrast to other Arab leaders.

* ''Series/{{Tyrant}}'' follows an [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed heavily dramatized version]] of Bashar al-Assad as Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed, a pediatrician who is forced to assume the role of dictator after his father's passing (al-Assad is an ophthalmologist).

Nevertheless, he remained a relatively quiet and unassuming figure in Middle-East politics... Until 2011 when the UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring came along. Protests led by (majority, but by no means exclusive to) Sunnis disaffected with by high unemployment and lack of political representation erupted in Syria, but Assad wasn't having none of that and cracked down ''hard'' on dissenters. The violent repression drew criticism from Western nations who pressured him to step down via sanctions, but when it became clear that Assad would not comply, the unrest in Syria soon turned into insurgency as armed rebel groups who would overthrow his regime, beginning the Syrian Civil War.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse not just because of the rebel groups, but also the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an radical Wahabi-Salafi jihadist group who managed to conquer large swathes of land from both Assad and the rebels and commit even more appalling atrocities. This lead to an international intervention by several superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad whereas a USA-led coalition chose to ignore Assad in order to focus on the terrorists, while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition (initially the Free Syrian Army, but their unreliability and outright collusion with ISIS made them switch to the Kurdish-lead Syrian Democratic Forces until 2019 with the USA withdrawal from Syria).

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of several war crimes like using chemical weapons on civilians, jailing opponents and torturing them in vicious manners, and escalating the conflict because of his refusal to hand over power and that he should answer for his atrocities. On the other side, he has supporters who view him as an stabilizing force and fear of Syrian collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to it's neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal. This has been largely influenced by the fact rebel forces were infiltrated by Islamists and the Assad regime is regarded as "secular" [[note]]Bashar's father Hafez implemented in the constitution that the President didn't need to be a Muslim, causing Islamists to rise up in 1979 and being brutally crushed[[/note]]. The debate still remains and it's unlikely it will go away anytime soon.

Nevertheless, he remained a relatively quiet and unassuming figure in Middle-East politics... Until 2011 when a the UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring came along. Protests led by (majority, but by no means exclusive to) Sunnis disaffected with by high unemployment and lack of political representation erupted in Syria, but Assad wasn't having none of that and cracked down ''hard'' on dissenters. The violent repression drew criticism from Western nations who pressured him to step down via sanctions, but when it became clear that Assad would not comply, the unrest in Syria soon turned into insurgency as armed rebel groups who would overthrow his regime, beginning the Syrian Civil War.

By 2014, it seemed his regime was about to collapse not just because of the rebel groups, but also the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an radical Wahabi-Salafi jihadist group who managed to conquer large swathes of land from both Assad and the rebels and commit even more appalling atrocities. This lead to an international intervention by several superpowers in order to curb ISIS with Russia and Iran directly supporting Assad, while a USA-led coalition chose to ignore Assad in order to focus on the terrorists, while still covertly supporting the Syrian opposition (initially the Free Syrian Army, but their unreliability and outright collusion with ISIS lead to them switching to the Kurdish-lead Syrian Democratic Forces until 2019 after the USA withdrawal from Syria).

Attitudes and opinions held towards Assad shifted greatly in part to how the war was conducted. His critics accuse him of being an war criminal responsible for triggering the conflict in the first place because of his refusal to hand over power and that he should answer for his atrocities. On the other side, he has supporters who view him as an stabilizing force and fear of Syrian collapsing into anarchy just like what happened to it's neighbor Iraq after Saddam's removal. This has been largely influenced by the fact rebel forces were infiltrated by Islamists and the Assad regime is regarded as "secular" [[note]]Bashar's father Hafez implemented in the constitution that the President didn't need to be a Muslim, causing Islamists to rise up in 1979 and being brutally crushed[[/note]]. The debate still remains and it's unlikely it will go away anytime soon.

Born to the influential Alawite al-Assad family, Bashar became the heir apparent of his father Hafez following the deaths of his older brother. He was described as being a shy boy, uninterested in politics and the military, much unlike his brothers. Assad assumed office in 2000, after Hezbollah's death, and allied his country with the US during the UsefulNotes/WarOnTerror.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad (11 September 1965- ) is the current President of [[UsefulNotes/Syria]], serving since his father's death in 2000. Assad's rule is notoriously controversial, especially with a bloody ongoing Civil War in his country.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad (11 September 1965- ) is the current President of UsefulNotes/Syria, serving since his father's death in 2000. Assad's rule is notoriously controversial, especially with a bloody ongoing Civil War in his country.