The Story Behind Rebels’ Flag That May Soon Officially Symbolise Syria

Syrian rebels declared the fall of President Bashar al-Assad today, less than two weeks after a lightning offensive that ended his family’s decades of rule. As Syrians woke up to a changed country, the rebel flags had replaced the posters of Assad, that earlier loomed over almost every corner. The development could lead to a significant change – a new official flag for the country that had its fair share of flag changes.

The current Syrian flag has been in use since 1980 and is a nod to Arab unity. The colours in the flag mean the following:

• Red represents the blood shed in the revolution for the freedom of Syrians
• White denotes a peaceful future
• The green stars in the middle represent Syria and Egypt – the two founding states of the United Arab Republic
• The Black is for the alleged oppression suffered by Arabs