Syria has a new de facto national flag – hailed by anti-Assad Syrians over these past fourteen years, the ‘green’ Revolution or Independence flag has replaced Assad’s ‘red’ flag. But how many know its history & why it has been such an important symbol?
Despite the Assad regime’s attempts to marginalize this flag by shamelessly slandering it as the “French” flag, it is an important symbol of modern Syria – every Syrian head of state from the Syrian Republic to the Syrian Arab Republic has stood before it.
French Syrian Flag - State of Syria
Syria's flag was defined in the 1930 Syrian Republic constitution, under the oversight of one of nation's most celebrated heroes, Ibrahim Hananu. It was first hailed in Aleppo & Damascus in 1932 & soon became a powerful symbol of resistance against the French colonists.
On April 17 1946, Independence Day (aka, Evacuation Day), it was adopted as the national flag of the new republic serving as an important symbol of unity. It’s colors, green for the Rashidun & Islam, black for the Abbasid Caliphate, white for the Umayyads & red in honor of the nation’s martyrs.
The three stars represent the great uprisings against the French – the Salih Ali revolt, Ibrahim Hananu’s Aleppo uprising & Sultan al-Atrash‘s Great Revolt. The stars did not symbolize federalism or cities as often noted in mainstream pieces, rather that of revolution.
Aleppo Independence Day April 17 1946
The third stanza of Syria’s national anthem, Humat Al-Diyar (Guardians of the homeland), written in 1936 also pays homage to it.
“The flutter of hopes and the beat of the heart, are on a flag that united the entire country. Is there not blackness from every eye & ink from every martyr’s blood?”
Aleppo Independence Day April 17 1946
The Independence flag was briefly replaced when Syria united with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic (UAR) in 1958 however was reestablished when the union fell apart in 1961.
An important sidenote: the word ‘Arab’ in the current name “Syrian Arab Republic” was first instituted after the collapse of the UAR, due to the heavy Egyptian/ Nasserite influence. It was left out at Independence by the founding fathers out of respect for Syria’s diversity.
Syria's Coat of Arms - The Syrian Republic (no mention of 'Arab')
Demoted by the Ba’ath and the Assad family since 1963, it still served as a ceremonial symbol of independence & became the longest-standing icon of the modern nation state of Syria. When the revolution began in 2011, it was adopted as bold symbol of rebellion to the regime.
Syrian Independence Day celebrations in 2010
This came naturally for a population rejecting the imposed state symbols that became synonymous with the Assad regime – namely, the Ba’ath and official state flags, always strategically associated with images of Hafez, Bashar and even Basil Al-Assad.
Today, the Assad ‘red’ flag is relegated to the dustbin of history – anyone who raises it is deliberately representing the fallen regime & brutal family dictatorship that has plagued Syria for five decades. The new Syria is full of hope and its flag is green.
© AAREF WATAD / AFP
An earlier version of this piece was written by me thirteen years ago.
