Concept
Syrians
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Al-Assad family
The al-Assad family, also known as the Assad dynasty, is a Syrian political family that has ruled Syria since General Hafez al-Assad became president of Syria in 1971 under the Ba'ath Party. After his death, in June 2000, he was succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad. The al-Assads are originally from Qardaha, Latakia. They belong to the Kalbiyya tribe. The family name Assad goes back to 1927, when Ali Sulayman changed his last name to al-Assad, Arabic for "the lion", possibly in connection with his social standing as a local mediator and his political activities.