Hafiz al-Asad

Hafiz al-Asad, the late father of the dictator of Syria, came from a small village in the northwest mountains of that country. During the time of Hafiz' grandfather, a boastful Turkish wrestler came to the village and claimed that he could beat anyone there in a fair wrestling match. Hafiz' grandfather, who was a burly man not easily intimidated, stepped forward and accepted the Turk's challenge. Hafiz' grandfather's name was Sulayman.

The two men began their battle, but it was ended almost immediately when Sulayman grabbed the Turk and effortlessly picked him up and threw him into the dirt. It was clear to all that the Turk was trounced and from that day forth, the villagers referred to Sulayman as al Wahish: "the animal, the savage, the wild man." Al Wahish functioned as Sulayman's title and the village awarded his whole family this word as a surname.

Later in his life, Sulayman had accumulated such a great amount of honor for himself and his family that his prominence could no longer be denied. The four families who ruled that village came together and decreed that from henceforth Sulayman would no longer be the Wahish. He was now al Asad--the Lion.

This is a true story.