The flag of the Republic of Iraq consists of three colors, red, black and white, which are synonymous with Arab nationalism. Initially, the Iraqi flag was first hoisted in 1921 but has gone through several changes since then. However, it still holds the same meaning to the Iraqis. For instance, it is not only a symbol of the sovereignty of the state but also a symbol of Islam and the Iraqi revolution. It is a reminder of the rich history and troubled past that Iraqis have experienced before becoming a modern nation.
Iraq was part of the Ottoman Empire. From 1299 to 1920, the flag of the region consisted of a red background with a white crescent at the center and a five-pointed star next to the crescent. During World War I, the British sought to conquer Iraq. A British mandate of Mesopotamia was established in which Iraq would be under the protection of the British. The new flag for the Kingdom was a black, white, green tricolored with a red trapezoid on the left side. Inside the trapezoid were two seven-pointed white stars.
The mandate of Mesopotamia unified three Ottoman Provinces. These were Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra. The decree, however, was unpopular with the people, and rebellions were the order of the day. This forced the British to change their policy. Instead of categorizing Iraq as a protectorate, it became a Kingdom ruled by a Hashemite, Prince Amir Faisal. The monarch lasted until 1958 when Iraq joined Jordan to establish the Arab League. A new flag was adopted in which the stars were removed. A red triangle also replaced the trapezoid. At the time, the flag failed to foster a national identity as the majority of the people were against the governing of the Kingdom and did not trust the rulers.
In 1958, a revolution led by Abdul Karim Kassim ended the monarchical rule, and Iraq became a republic. A new flag was adopted with vertical stripes of black, white, and green. At the center of the flag was a yellow sun with red triangular rays. This was the official flag from 1959 to 1963. The yellow disk symbolized the Kurdish majority whereas the red triangles symbolized the Christian-Assyrian minorities.
In 1963, the Baath party took control of the country and adopted a new flag with horizontal stripes red, white, and black. At the center of the flag were three green five-pointed stars. The stars symbolized the country’s desire to join with Syria and Egypt. This flag is similar to the Arab liberation flag that was hoisted in Egypt in 1952. The stripes, red, white and green were accepted in Egypt, Syria, and Northern Yemen. In a 13th century poem written by Ṣafī al-Dīn al-Ḥilli, the poet stated that red represents the willingness to shed blood, black symbolizes battles, white symbolizes purity of motives and actions, whereas green symbolizes the fertile Arab fields.
On January 14th, 1991, Saddam Hussein ordered the modification of the flag. This new flag consisted of an Arabic script in between the stars. The inscriptions “Allāhu Akbar” were introduced in the banner. This was meant to reflect the country’s commitment to Islam during its fight against military forces to reverse its annexation of Kuwait. Saddam’s regime came to an end in 2003 after a United States-led military coalition invaded the country. A new flag was proposed, which consisted of a white background with thin stripes blue, red, and blue at the bottom, and a blue crescent at the center. However, this flag was controversial and was rejected by a majority of Iraqis. Many of the Iraqi’s felt that the flag lacked Islamic imagery.
On June 28, 2004, the interim government adopted a new flag. This flag differed from the 1991-2004 flag only in terms of length to width ratio as well as the type of script used for the inscription. On January 22, 2008, the Iraqi parliament voted in favor of a modified version of the flag. The three green stars were removed from the flag and replaced with the Inscriptions, ‘God is Great,’ written in traditional Kufic script.
In spite of the modifications, the Kurds were against the national flag since they enjoyed a high degree of autonomy within the country, and were reluctant to adopt the new flag. In 2008, the Kurdish autonomous regions officially adopted their flag, a red, white, green tricolored flag with the sun at the center.
There were two more proposals for a different flag in 2008. The first proposal was for a flag consisting of the traditional tricolors (black, white, green) but at the center of the white stripe inscriptions and the center of the inscriptions a yellow sun with green rays. The second proposal consisted of three green stars at the center, and between the stars inscriptions written in yellow. However, both proposals were rejected.
The flag of Iraq consists of the popular Pan Arab colors of red, white, and green, which have the following meaning:
Moreover, it is believed that the three colors represent different dynasties in different eras of Iraqi history.
Emblem
At the center of the flag of Iraq is the Takbir in green, which is a symbolic color in Islam that represents paradise. The takbir is written in Kufic script.
Shape
The flag has a length to width ratio of 2:3. The three horizontal colors are equal and parallel to each other. The Takbir is 7/15th of the length of the flag. There are different versions of the banner in which the size of the takbir appears bigger or smaller. However, the overall ratio is 2:3, and the stripes have to be equal.
Iraqi is a country that is presently facing internal strife. As a result, there are no clear cut guidelines concerning the flag. It is popular to see anti-government protesters hoisting the flag on abandoned buildings. To anti-government protesters, the flag is also a symbol of revolution against the existing government.
Do you know any other interesting facts about the flag of Iraq? Share your thoughts below.
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