Dima Moussa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dima Moussa
ديما موسى
Official portrait, 2012
Vice President of the National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces of Syria
In office 7 May 2018 – 1 July 2020
President	Abdurrahman Mustafa
Vice President of the National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces of Syria
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 September 2023
President	Hadi al-Bahra
Personal details
Born	1978 (age 46–47) Homs, Syria
Political party	Independent Figures

Dima Moussa (Arabic: ديما موسى; born in 1978) is a Syrian lawyer and politician. She is also a feminist, meaning she believes in equal rights for women. Dima is part of the Syrian political opposition. This means she is part of groups that want to see changes in the Syrian government. She has served as a Vice President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces twice. Her first term was from May 2018 to July 2020. She started serving as Vice President again in September 2023.

Dima Moussa's Early Life and Education

Dima Moussa was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1978. Her father, Naim, was an electrical engineer, and her mother was Margaret. She also has one brother. Her family originally came from Homs. They are a Christian family.

When Dima was 15, in the 1990s, she and her parents left Syria. They moved because of how the government, led by Hafez al-Assad, was acting. Later, in 2012, other family members had to leave Homs. This happened during the Syrian Civil War, when government forces attacked the city.

Dima studied electrical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. After that, she earned a law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from DePaul University.

Dima Moussa's Career and Political Work

Dima Moussa is a lawyer who is allowed to practice law in the United States. She worked as a lawyer there until late 2012. She is known as a "liberal feminist," which means she strongly supports women's rights and equality.

While she was studying law, Dima volunteered at the Human Rights Law Institute of DePaul University. This was from 2005 to 2006. She focused on helping to protect the rights of women in Arab countries.

Getting Involved in Syrian Politics

In 2011, people in Syria started protesting against the government. This was called the Syrian uprising. Dima began working with activists from Syria. Later that year, she became a member of the Syrian opposition. These are groups that want to bring about political change in Syria.

In 2011, Dima was a spokesperson for the Revolutionary Council of Homs. This group was made up of activists from the city of Homs. She helped share their messages.

Dima was also one of the people who helped start the Syrian National Council. In 2014, she spoke for another activist group called the Homs Quarters Union. She talked about the terrible conditions and human rights problems during the Siege of Homs. This was when the city of Homs was surrounded, and it was very hard for people to get help. She pointed out that humanitarian aid had not reached the city since December 2012.

Joining the National Coalition

In October 2016, Dima joined the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. This is a major group that represents the Syrian opposition.

She also helped create the Syrian Women's Political Movement in October 2017. This group works to give women a stronger voice in Syrian politics. Dima was a member of its main leadership group until mid-2020.

In May 2018, Dima took part in the Conscience Convoy. This event aimed to bring attention to human rights abuses against women in Syria. It especially focused on women who had been arrested by the government.

Becoming Vice President

In May 2018, Dima Moussa was chosen to be a Vice President of the Syrian National Coalition. She served alongside Abdel Basset Hamo and Bader Jamous. The President at that time was Abdurrahman Mustafa. Dima held this important position for two terms, until July 2020.

In June 2018, Dima joined a campaign to speak out against a new law. This law, called Law No. 10, affected who owned property in Syria. It made it harder for people who had left Syria to return to their homes. Dima said that this law showed the government was "not serious" about making real changes.

Dima Moussa is also a member of the Syrian Constitutional Committee. This group was formed in October 2019. They are working on writing new rules for Syria. Dima is part of the smaller group that writes the actual text of these new rules.

Dima Moussa's Personal Life

Dima Moussa can speak three languages: Arabic, English, and neo-Aramaic.

Images for kids

• 

  Official portrait, 2012