Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 16:36, 21 December 2024

It has been suggested that Movement of the Pluralistic Society be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2024.

Randa Kassis
Kassis in 2018.
Personal details
Born	(1970-10-08) 8 October 1970 (age 54) Damascus, Syria
Nationality	Syrian, French
Occupation	Politician

Randa Kassis ( رندة قسيس) She is a Franco-Syrian political figure against Bashar Al Assad and the President of the Movement for a Pluralistic Society, which she founded in 2012 after being excluded from the Syrian National Council due to her warnings about the rise of Islamists in Syria. She was the President of the Astana Platform and the founder of the Movement of the Pluralistic Society. Her groups' stated aim was to achieve a political transition in Syria, with the regime of Bashar Al Assad, similar to the SNC and HNC Kassis' husband, Fabien Baussart, is the founder of think tank called the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA) with strong ties to Russia.

Biography

Randa kassis Until the age of 17, she strived to lead what she described as “a normal life,” steering clear of political entanglements. She deliberately avoided joining the “shabiha,” the youth wing of the ruling Ba’ath Party. “I learned to say ‘no.’ I learned how to resist,” she reflects.

Randa Kassis has been known for her outspoken commentary on France 24 and other media channels since 2007. She has also been recognised for her writings, in which she advocated for a free society and defended individual rights.

Kassis was a member of the Syrian National Council until August 2012. She also chaired, in 2011, a group called the Coalition of Secular and Democratic Syrians. The Coalition of Secular and Democratic Syrians, the nucleus of a secular and democratic Syrian opposition, was created by the union of a dozen Muslim, Christian, Arab and Kurdish parties, who called upon minorities in Syria to support the fight against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Randa Kassis initiated in 2015 the Astana Platform after her request to the President of Kazakhstan to form a platform that could assemble moderate Syrian opponents. The first round of the Astana platform was moderated by Kazakh Ambassador Baghdad Amreyev and the opening session was chaired by the Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erland Idrissov. The second round was moderated by Fabien Baussart, President of the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA).

Kassis’ efforts were met with mixed reactions from various groups within the Syrian opposition, some of whom viewed her as having close ties with Russia.

Kassis has expressed support for the Russian intervention in Syria. In 2016, shortly before the US presidential election, she lunched in Paris with Donald Trump Jr., who later gave a paid speech for her husband's think tank. The House Intelligence Committee mentioned this meeting as possible evidence of contacts between Donald Trump's entourage and Russian-backed operatives.

Randa Kassis participated in the 2016 Geneva Peace Talks under the banner of the Moscow/Astana groups. She is Co-President with Qadri Jamil of the Syrian secular and democratic opposition delegation. She is criticized by other opposition members for her advocacy to a political transition in cooperation with Bashar al-Assad's regime and her support of the Russian intervention in the civil war.

In 2017, Kassis invited many members of the Syrian opposition, academics and constitutionalists with the help of French constitutionalist expert Xavier Latour, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Yasar Yakis and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Giulio Terzi, in order to start drafting a new constitution for Syria.

On 30 January 2018 Randa Kassis, along with other members of the Astana platform, participated in the Syrian National Congress as President of the Astana platform. Kassis emphasized the importance of creating a constitutional committee in order to facilitate the peace process in Syria, which the UN and Astana troika – Russian, Iran and Turkey – later agreed to create.

October 2018, Kassis worked to include many political factions of the opposition to reach a road map to peace. The document was drawn up by representatives of the opposition invited to Rome by Sant'Egidio, an organisation closed to the Vatican.

Personal

Kassis is married to French businessman Fabien Baussart who is, since the early 1990s, is a close friend of Moscow and a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin.

Bibliography

• Crypts of the Gods, Randa Kassis, Editions E- Kutub, 2013 (EN)
• Le Chaos Syrien, printemps arabes et minorités face à l'islamisme, Randa Kassis and Alexandre del Valle, Editions Dhow, 2014 (FR)
• Comprendre le chaos syrien, des révolutions arabes au jihad mondial, L'Artilleur, coll. Toucan essais, 2016 (FR)
• La Syrie et le Retour de la Russie, Editions des Syrtes, 2018 (FR)

See also

• Syrian Civil War
• Secularism in Syria

References

1. "Syria and the Arab Spring: Unintended Consequences?". www.carnegiecouncil.org. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
2. "Secular Syrians mobilise to block Islamist rule". France 24. 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
3. Randa Kassis, Geneva Peace Talks 2014. Archived from the original on 2023-12-16. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
4. "Randa Kassis". The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
5. "Opposition Group Leader Randa Kassis on Islamist Fighters in Syria". Der Spiegel. 2012-07-16. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
6. "Un nouveau parti d'opposition laïque - L'Humanité". https://www.humanite.fr (in French). 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2024-12-21. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
7. "Randa Kassis, Geneva Peace Talks 2014 | UN Web TV". media.un.org. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
8. Irish, John (2012-08-23). "Syrian dissident: Assad will fall only with Alawite help". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
9. Solomon, Jay (2016-11-23). "Donald Trump Jr. Held Talks on Syria With Russia Supporters". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
10. MEE staff (24 November 2016). "Trump's son met Moscow-backed Syrian 'opposition' politician: Donald Trump Jr met Randa Kassis before US election, strengthening expectations Trump administration will side with Russia in Syria". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
11. "A secular voice in the Syrian opposition". La croix international. 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
12. "Speakers 2014 – Secular Conference". Retrieved 2024-12-21.
13. Ayoun, Boussouf, Monique, Malika (20 February 2014). Musulmanes et Laïques en Révolte (in French) (Hugo Document ed.). Hugo Document. p. 149. ISBN 9782755614169.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
14. Ghazzali, Kacem El (2024-12-13). "Klarstellung zu meiner Beziehung zu Randa Kassis und ADHOC". jungle.world (in German). Retrieved 2024-12-21.
15. CEMB (2013-12-13). "Two-day international conference on the Religious Right, Secularism and". Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain - CEMB. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
16. "Women in opposition". منتديات الجاليه العراقية في سويسرا (in Arabic). 2024-12-08. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
17. Irish, John (2011-09-16). "France hails Syria council, develops contacts". Reuters. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
18. "Syria Politicians figures in history". اكتب (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-12-21.
19. "Les partis d'opposition laïcs syriens unissent leurs forces à Paris", Agence France-Presse, 18 September 2011.
20. Putz, Catherine (29 May 2015). "Why Was Syria's Opposition in Kazakhstan?". The diplomat.
21. "L'opposition syrienne suggère de tenir des consultations à Astana pour résoudre la crise en Syrie" (PDF).
22. May 2015, Malika Orazgaliyeva in International on 29 (2015-05-29). "Syrian Opposition Meeting in Astana Makes Tentative Headway in Finding Way Forward for Peace Process". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2019-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
23. October 2015, Malika Orazgaliyeva in International on 6 (2015-10-06). "Representatives of Syrian Opposition Meet in Astana". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2019-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
24. ^ Solomon, Jay (2016-11-23). "US Syria policy: signs of shift as Trump son meets pro-Russia Damascus figure". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
25. Meyer, Josh (2016-06-17). "Investigators probe European travel of Trump associates". Politico. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
26. UN Media (March 2016). "Moscow-Astana Group - Media Stakeout".
27. "United States to press Russia on Syria's Assad". Reuters. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016.
28. Borger, Julian; Jalabi, Raya (23 November 2016). "US Syria policy: signs of shift as Trump son meets pro-Russia Damascus figure". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
29. "Expert Meeting on Syrian Constitution – Giulio Terzi" (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-09-04.
30. ^ "Сирийская оппозиция предлагает проект унитарного государства из 14 регионов". www.forbes.kz. 2017-12-05. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
31. "The Astana Process - Problems and Prospects by Leonid Gusev". The Market For Ideas. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
32. "Russia's Syrian peace conference teeters on farce". the Guardian. January 30, 2018.
33. Болдырев, Олег (2018-01-31). "Сирийский конгресс в Сочи: диалог без ясных результатов". BBC News Русская Служба.
34. "Сирийская оппозиция предлагает проект унитарного государства из 14 регионов". 2017-12-05.
35. "La oposición siria presenta un proyecto de transición avalado por Sant'Egidio". Alfa y Omega (in Spanish). 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
36. "Una road map per la ricostruzione della Siria presentata oggi a Sant'Egidio | NEWS | COMUNITÀ DI SANT'EGIDIO". www.santegidio.org (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-03-12.
37. Crowley, Michael (March 2017). "All of Trump's Russia Ties, in 7 Charts". Politico. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
38. MEE staff (24 November 2016). "Trump's son met Moscow-backed Syrian 'opposition' politician: Donald Trump Jr met Randa Kassis before US election, strengthening expectations Trump administration will side with Russia in Syria". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
39. Sallon, Hélène; Vitkine, Benoît (19 March 2017). "Fabien Baussart, l'intermédiaire proche de Moscou qui a fait venir Donald Trump Jr à Paris: Compagnon d'une opposante syrienne adoubée par le Kremlin, l'homme d'affaires cultive ses réseaux russes depuis le début des années 1990" [Fabien Baussart, the Moscow-close intermediary who brought Donald Trump Jr to Paris: A companion of a Syrian opposition leader endorsed by the Kremlin, the businessman has been cultivating his Russian networks since the early 1990s.]. Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
40. Piel, Simon; Tilouine, Joan (4 October 2016). "L'affaire Squarcini embarrasse la Direction du renseignement intérieur" [The Squarcini affair embarrasses the Directorate of Internal Intelligence]. Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
41. "Speakers | Secular Conference London 2014". www.secularconference.com. Retrieved 2016-03-25.
42. Kassis, Randa (2013). Crypts of the gods. London: E-Kutub. p. 224. ISBN 978-1492880608.
43. "Articles en rapport avec : Le chaos syrien". Atlantico.fr. Retrieved 2016-03-25.
44. Kassis, Randa (2014). Le chaos Syrien. Paris: Editions Dhow. p. 320. ISBN 979-1093501031.
45. Kassis, Randa (June 8, 2016). COMPRENDRE LE CHAOS SYRIEN DES RÉVOLUTIONS ARABES AU JIHAD MONDIAL (TOUC.ESSAIS ed.). France: L'artilleur. p. 438. ISBN 9782810007318.
46. Randa., Kassis (2018). La Syrie et le retour de la Russie. Genève. ISBN 978-2940523634. OCLC 1027055736.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

• Official Site
• https://m.ahewar.org/index.asp?i=2668
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FiY7ttD1cMU
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f__49HlvIEU

• 21st-century Syrian politicians
• Living people
• People of the Syrian civil war
• 1970 births
• 21st-century Syrian women politicians
• Syrian critics of religions
• 20th-century Syrian politicians