Flag of Kurdistan
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| Name | Alaya Rengîn ("The Colorful Flag") |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 1920 by various groups 1992 by Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Design | Red, yellow, green and white, with sun disk in the center. |
The flag of Kurdistan is used by Kurds as a symbol for the Kurds' desire for independence. The flag is banned in Iran, Syria and Turkey because of its association with Kurdish nationalism. It is the official flag of the autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
The main characteristic of the flag is the blazing golden sun emblem (Roj in Kurdish) at its center. The emblem's sun disk has 21 rays, equal in size and shape, with the single odd ray at top and the two even rays on the bottom. Number 21 is a venerated number, standing for rebirth/renaissance in the ancient and native Kurdish religion of Yazdanism and its modern offshoots.
The symbolism of the colors is:
The flag first appeared during the movement for Kurdish independence from the Ottoman Empire and resembles an earlier version created by the Xoybûn (Khoyboon) organization, active in the Ararat rebellion of 1930, and flown by the break-away Republic of Ararat during the period 1927–1931. The flag appeared then again in 1932 and in the media where one of its creators described it as red, white and green with a sun in the middle. A similar flag was later used by the Soviet-backed Kurdish Republic known as the Republic of Mahabad in 1946.
The flag appeared in Kurdish media throughout the 90's with MED TV, Kurdsat, Kurdistan TV and their affiliates broadcasting with the flag appearing frequently in their programming allowing it to become a symbol of Kurdish statehood. A document dealing with the adaptation to international flag standards of the National Flag of Kurdistan was prepared by Mehrdad Izady and Bijhan Eliasi in 1998. It was instantly adopted by the international Flag Institute. In 1999, the Parliament of the Kurdish Regional Government adopted the standardized flag to be the official and standard presentation of the Kurdish National Flag in all its aspects.
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