Dictionary

Assad curse en · PROPN

Etymology

According to Know Your Meme, the curse was first mentioned in a tweet posted by @iadtawil on May 6, 2016. Assad remained in power during the Syrian Civil War from 2011 until late 2024, when he was overthrown.

Meanings

1. (Internet, humorous) A supposed curse causing anyone who criticizes Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to have their criticism backfire on them; especially, that a politician who says "Assad must go" will themselves be removed from power.
   • In 2017 Dutch Bert Koenders joined the club. Only one year after he had called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to put Assad on trial, his party, PvdA, dramatically lost the national elections, which forced him to resign as minister of Foreign Affairs and made him the laughing stock of Assad curse jokers on social media. 2020, Eric van de Beek, “Assad curse strikes again: Dutch official embarrassed”, in The Frontier Post, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2023:
   • Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir has just been replaced by Ibrahim Assaf. Jubeir over the last 7 years repeated the Assad Must Go mantra in almost every interview he gave. The Assad curse finally caught up with him 😂 2018 December 27, @walid970721, Twitter, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2023:
   • Now israel? Damn the Assad curse knew no limit 2021 June 1, u/doucheshanemec24, “There is no stopping the Curse”, in Reddit, r/SyrianCirclejerkWar, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2023:
   • Zelensky has apparently imposed personal sanctions against Bashar Assad. Tempting the Assad curse, huh... 2023 March 18, @RWApodcast, Twitter, archived from the original on 19 Mar 2023:

Forms

wikipedia: Twitter · wikipedia: Syrian civil war · wikipedia: Know Your Meme