With the autumn of president Bashar al-Assad, the independence-era flag adopted by activists and rebels through the 2011 revolt has changed the official flag on streets, establishments and houses in Syria and past.
The crimson, inexperienced, black and white flag launched below the rule of Assad’s father Hafez stays Syria’s official image, however because the president’s ouster this week, it has been torn down in cities and cities across the nation to mark the tip of an period, with residents and armed males elevating the three-starred flag of the revolution as a substitute.
– Unthinkable –
On Wednesday, insurgent fighters held up their flag as they stood atop the charred and destroyed mausoleum of Hafez al-Assad, from whom Bashar al-Assad inherited energy.
Within the coronary heart of the capital Damascus, a big group of individuals stood facet by facet to carry up a large independence-era flag in Umayyad Sq., a scene unthinkable only a week in the past.
In the course of the revolt, the mere accusation of shopping for fabric to stitch collectively the independence flag landed activists in jail.
Now, it’s ubiquitous in Syria, and persons are not afraid of taking selfies with it, waving it on the road, or portray their elated faces in its colors.
The rebels who took down Assad additionally took management of state tv.
One bulletin confirmed the clean-shaven anchor, impeccably wearing a go well with and tie, delivering the information with the picture of an independence flag fluttering behind him.
In gatherings all over the world, from London to Berlin, Paris and Istanbul, Syrians compelled into exile have waved the flag of the revolt whereas singing songs for freedom and chanting slogans in opposition to Assad.
Hours after Assad fled the nation over the weekend, many Syrian consulates and embassies all over the world hoisted the flag of the revolution, together with in Moscow, the place the ousted ruler has fled based on media experiences citing Russian officers.
– Two stars or three? –
The flag first adopted by the protesters who in 2011 took to the streets to name for freedom is inexperienced, white and black.
The inexperienced represents the early years of Muslim rule, white is for the Umayyad dynasty and black is for the Abbasids, who dominated over their empire from round 750 AD till the mid-Thirteenth century.
The three crimson stars throughout the center symbolize the districts of Damascus, Aleppo and Deir Ezzor.
The official flag, which was launched in 1980, has two inexperienced stars.
To the activists who scorned the official flag, it represented the Assad period.
Of their eyes, the revolt was not simply in opposition to Bashar al-Assad however extra broadly in opposition to dictatorship.
The independence-era flag of Syria was, to many, an emblem of a extra hopeful time that predated the totalitarianism of Assad’s father and son.
Whereas the revolution flag is all over the place now, it stays to be seen whether or not the nationwide anthem is maintained.
– Different flags –
Because the 13-year civil warfare has dragged on, different flags have solid shadows over Syria.
One was the Islamic State group’s, which as soon as ran a jihadist proto-state ruling tens of millions of individuals.
In 2014, it performed an offensive from Syria into Iraq, massacring members of spiritual minorities, executing dissidents and journalists, and turning ladies and kids into commodities to be purchased and offered in marketplaces.
Syria’s department of Al-Qaeda, the Al-Nusra Entrance, additionally flew a flag of its personal — a black flag inscribed with the Islamic shahada, or occupation of religion.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the offensive launched on November 27 that ended up forcing Assad from energy, is rooted in Al-Nusra.
Its flag is sort of similar to Al-Nusra’s, besides it has the shahada inscribed in black in opposition to a white background.
On Tuesday, the rebel-designated prime minister was photographed with each the flag of the revolution and the HTS flag behind him, drawing criticism from some activists.
Regional flags have additionally been adopted, with Syria’s Kurds flying their crimson, white, inexperienced and yellow flag in areas they management.
