In Paris, friends and family members gathered for the funeral of Syrian actress, activist and poet Fadwa Suleiman, one of the most recognizable faces of the Syrian revolution. Despite being of Alawite descent like Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Suleiman rebelled against the regime and helped lead major nonviolent protests in Homs. She was pursued by state security forces and forced to flee Syria in 2012. She died of cancer last week at the age of 47. This is Syrian activist Mazen Alhummada.

Mazen Alhummada: “Fadwa is one of the brilliant Syrian women who have given us a beautiful example of the Syrian revolution, even though she was somewhat considered part of the Assad regime. But she rebelled against this regime after she saw her people demanding their freedom and dignity, joining them and the revolution, even leaving behind her popularity.”