On December 14, 2024, the Facebook page “Informational-Analytical Union” published a photo showing an unidentified individual standing at a rally on Rustaveli Avenue with Syria’s new flag. The photo is accompanied by a description claiming that the new Syrian flag symbolizes the replacement of secularism with Islamism and is linked to the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. The photo was also shared on the Facebook page “Dedakalaki” (The Capital).
The claim that Syria’s new flag is associated with Al-Qaeda and Islamism is manipulative and has a different history. In reality, this flag is revolutionary in nature and was used in the past when Syria was fighting for independence from France and later, when it was fully independent.
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Why was the flag changed in Syria?
On December 8, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left Damascus, marking the collapse of his regime and the transfer of power to a transitional government. The change in Assad’s regime was followed by a change in the flags on state buildings in Syria, as the old flag was associated with the Assad family rule (Bashar al-Assad and his father, the previous president, Hafez al-Assad). Although the new flag has not yet been officially declared the state flag, it has already replaced the old flag inside the country, at state institutions, and outside the country, at Syrian embassies.
During the protest period, to distance themselves from Assad’s regime, opposition-minded citizens used a different flag, which featured three stripes in green, white, and black and three red stars. It is worth noting that unlike the new flag, the flag from Assad’s era had a red stripe instead of green, and it was declared the official symbol of Syria during the time of Bashar al-Assad’s father.
The current Syrian flag, used by the transitional government and victorious, opposition-minded citizens, is not new. It was used in the past during the period when Syria was fighting for independence from France. The use of this flag symbolizes the fall of Assad’s regime and Syria’s renewed freedom.
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Where do Syria’s old and new flags originate from?
The flag currently used by Syria’s transitional government and anti-Assad citizens dates back to the 1930s when Syria’s first republic was under French mandate. The same flag was retained after 1946 when Syria gained independence. This flag symbolized Syria’s autonomy, with colors that were linked to the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid caliphates. Symbolically, the black represented the past and years of oppression, the white symbolized a hopeful future, and the red represented the shed blood. The three stars represented the three main provinces: Aleppo, Damascus, and Deir ez-Zor.
Syria’s old flag, associated with Assad’s regime, was adopted in 1958 when Syria and Egypt created a political union, the United Arab Republic. Initially, the President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser did not want the union, but the pan-Arab Syrian Ba’ath Party persuaded Egypt, and the union was formed. The colors on the flag during this period represented the colors of Egypt’s revolution, and the two green stars represented Syria and Egypt. This flag existed until 1961. In 1961, due to various problems, Syria withdrew from the union with Egypt.
From 1961 to 1963, Syria returned to its old Independence Flag, but after the 1963 coup, when the Ba’ath Party established a one-party rule, the red-white-black flag was reinstated, but with three stars instead of two. The third star represented Iraq, which was also led by the Ba’ath Party at the time. The three stars also symbolized the Ba’ath Party’s ideals: unity, freedom, and socialism.
In 1972, Syria united with Libya and Egypt to form the Federation of Arab Republics. The flag from 1972 to 1980 retained the same colors (red, white, black), but the stars were replaced with symbols of the Quraysh tribe of Muhammad. Ultimately, the two-star flag with red, white, and black colors returned in 1980, symbolizing Arab unity once again.
It is noteworthy that the flags of Arab states share identical colors: red, white, black, and green. While these colors are sometimes associated with various periods of Arab caliphates, they are also referred to as pan-Arab colors and symbolize the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I (the Arab uprisings). According to some versions, these colors are linked to four dynasties: the Abbasids, Umayyads, Fatimids, and Hashemites. Therefore, it is manipulative to directly associate these colors with religious politics or any terrorist organization.
Today, identical colors are used on the flags of Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and other Arab states.
Read about other manipulations related to the events in Syria in the Myth Detector article:
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