Iraqi parliament okays post-Saddam flag

Globe and Mail ^ | Janaury 22, 2008 | QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

[Allegra]

BAGHDAD

January 22, 2008 at 9:33 AM EST

Associated Press — Iraq's parliament has passed a law to change the country's Saddam Hussein-era flag.

The decision meets the demands of Iraq's Kurdish minority, who suffered greatly under Saddam and threatened not to fly the banner during a pan-Arab meeting in the Kurdish-run north next month.

The measure, which expires in a year, was approved by show of hands, with 110 of 165 legislators present voting in favour.

Among other things, it will remove the flag's three stars, said to be representative of Saddam's Baath party.

The words “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is Great,” that were added by Mr. Saddam will remain. However, the calligraphy — representative of his handwriting — will be changed.

A law to establish a new banner must be passed in one year.

[Allegra]

Ping

[NordP]

The headline scared me for a minute, as I just glanced and didn't look more closely.

Now that I did....GOOD FOR THEM! I hope it has a palm tree and an eagle on it. --Even cooler if it would be red white and blue. That would be a good combo.

Can't wait to see what the designers come up with! Yeah Iraqi FREEDOM!

[jveritas]

It was expected that they are not going to take “allak akbar” from the flag, it is impossible for any muslim government no matter how secular they want to be to take it out once it is there because if they did this there would be a massive rebellion in the streets of their cities and towns.

[Tennessean4Bush]

I think it is red, white and black. No palm tree, just “Allahu Akhbar” (spelling?) in a formal font it looks like. The three stars are gone as well.

[Tennessean4Bush]

[wideawake]

What's interesting is that the font is very similar to Estrangelo script - the official script used by the Assyrian Christian minority of Iraq to print their Assyrian Christian Bibles and liturgical books.

And the phrase "God is great" is spelled very similarly in both Arabic and Assyrian.

[NordP]

Something like this???

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[NordP]

Ohhhhh BORING!

[Allegra]

That means that the flag the Iraqis gave me last year is out of date.

Now, they'll have to give me a new one. :)