The new flag is white, with two parallel blue strips across the bottom representing the rivers and a yellow stripe between them representing Iraq’s Kurdish minority. Above the stripes is a blue crescent representing Islam.
It's good to see them dump the Hejaz colours, which were often used to symbolize Arab supremacy in the last century. With the crescent as the centerpiece of the new flag, it looks like they've given up on the idea of a secular democracy. Actually, it looks a little like Israel's flag. No wonder the US wanted them to change the crescent's colour.
I imagine the flag might become a divisive issue, with supporters of the old regime and enemies of the US continuing to fly the old flag. At least the "bad guys" will be easier to spot.
Posted by Warrior Tang at April 26, 2004 08:59 PM
Actually, it looks a little like Israel's flag.
And if you check the NPR report on the new flag (see yesterday's edition of All Things Considered) you can see that the resemblence is going over so well.
It is a divisive issue already.
Posted by: the Fourth Man at April 27, 2004 04:56 AMWell, considering it (A) eliminates the traditional colors of just about all Muslim countries' flags, (B) was specifically intended to remove the "God is GreaT" bit, (C) has an element to symbolize the Kurds and no other ethnic group and (D) well, simply put, looks similar to Israel's flag, it's hard to see how it couldn't be divisive. Oy.
Posted by: Zibblsnrt at April 27, 2004 09:49 AM
I'm going say what I said on IRC last night, and I liked Iraq's flag they have now just fine. You know, the flag that was there BEFORE Hussein?...
This new flag looks like the lovechild of the Khazakstani and Israeli flags, and quite frankly is just plain ugly.
-- Primis.