Dear Commons Community,

The wives of U.N. ambassadors from Britain and Germany targeted Syria’s first lady on Tuesday with an online appeal to “stop your husband” in his yearlong bid to quash a popular uprising that has left thousands dead.

The video contrasts the lavish lifestyle of 36-year-old Asma al-Assad, wife of President Bashar al-Assad and mother of three, with the images of dead and injured Syrian children.

“Stand up for peace, Asma. Speak out now. For the sake of your people. Stop your husband,” asks the video. “Stop being a bystander. No one cares about your image. We care about your action.”

The video asks viewers to sign a petition at www.change.org demanding the London-born first lady speak out to “stop the bloodshed.”

Tony