The Assyrian Flag
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In the aftermath of the inception of Assyrian Universal
Alliance in 1968, a serious effort was undertook by this organization to address
the need for the Assyrian nation to have its own official flag. To realize this
dream, it was decided to appeal to various Assyrian artists and knowledgeable
people, for the purpose of soliciting ideas and layouts on this important
national task. In order to be presented to the AUA Congress for approval,
layouts and suggestions were to be collected from the across the world.
This worldwide effort netted
large number of designs, which were duly received and noted. Following
meticulous consideration, a decision was reached in favor of one particular
design, which best captured the Assyrian essence from the past and the present.
In the year 1974, this design was approved by the 6th congress of the
AUA, which convened the United States in the city of Yonkers, NY. A well-known
Assyrian artist, Mr. George Bit-Atanus of Teheran, Iran, designed this flag. The
main reason for the approval of this flag was that the artist had not merely
presented his own views. Rather, he had brilliantly blended ancient Assyrian
designs representing the former glory of the Assyrian Empire, to create an
attractive fusion between the past and the present. In this way the artist had
succeeded to bridge the gap between a glorious Assyrian past, and the
present-day struggles and ambitions of the Assyrian nation.
 The Assyrian flag is designed with a white background on which
three waving stripes emerge from each corner of a center design. The design is
in the shape of four-headed star. At its center, the star encompasses a golden
circle representing Shamash, the Assyrian Sun-God who was believed to give life
to all things on earth. The four wedges of the star are a bright blue color and
represent happiness and tranquility.Â
The waving strips protrude from
the four joints of the star and stretch to the four concerns of the flag. The
stripes are narrow at the base and become wider as they distance themselves from
the center. They symbolize the three major rivers flowing through the land of
Assyria. At the top we see the mighty Euphrates, represented in blue denoting
abundance. In the center the great Zab is in white, portraying peace, and in the
bottom we see the mighty Tigris in a red color, representing the Assyrian
national pride. These three stripes are also picturing the rays of the center
star and stand to symbolize the dispersion of the Assyrian people to the four
corners of the world. The manner in which these stripes emerge from the star
also symbolically portrays the eventual return of the Assyrians to their
ancestral homeland, which is represented by the center of the star.
Hovering over the star and the
emblem of Shamash, there is a representation of the image of God Ashur, the
ancient Assyrian supreme deity. The emblem of Ashur features the deity standing
in circle with two eagle wings spanning and over stretching its length on two
sides. Ashur has drawn a bow and his arrow is ready to fly. This is in the same
shape and color scheme of the original ceramic work preserved in the British
Museum.
Finally, atop the flag there stands the royal insignia the famous Assyrian king Sargon II, signifying the might and the great civilization achieved by the Assyrians.
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