Jamil al-Assad was a younger brother of the late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, and the uncle of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
12 Facts About Jamil al-Assad
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Jamil al-Assad served in the People's Assembly of Syria from 1971 until his death in 2004.
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Jamil al-Assad sent groups of Alawites to study Twelver Shiism in Iran.
4.
Jamil al-Assad built husayniyyas in the mountains, where before there had been only Alawite shrines.
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Jamil al-Assad allowed Iranian officials to enter Syria to realize conversions to Shiism.
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Jamil al-Assad was put under house arrest in 1981 after an unsuccessful challenge to his brother, Hafez al-Assad.
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Jamil al-Assad was reported to have been sent into exile due to accusations of corruption to France at the end of 1996 or at the beginning of 1997.
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Jamil al-Assad headed the national security committee in Parliament later in his life.
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Unlike Rifaat, Jamil openly supported the succession to the presidency of Hafez al-Assad's son, Bashar.
10.
However, unlike Rifaat Jamil al-Assad, he was permitted to return periodically to Syria at his leisure.
11.
Jamil al-Assad was reported to have been involved in arms smuggling to the Iraqi insurgents.
12.
Jamil al-Assad died on 15 December 2004 at age 70 at a French hospital where he had been treated for about a month.