Syrian rebels today announced the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, less than two weeks after a landslide attack ended his family’s decades of rule. As Syrians became aware of a changed country, rebel flags replaced the Assad posters that had previously appeared on almost every corner. This development could lead to a significant change – a new official flag for a country that had its fair share of flag changes.
current syrian flag
The current Syrian flag has been used since 1980 and is a symbol of Arab unity. The colors in the flag have the following meanings:
- The red color represents the blood shed in the revolution for the freedom of the Syrian people
- White color represents a peaceful future
- The green stars in the middle represent Syria and Egypt – the two founding states of the United Arab Republic
- Black is for the alleged oppression suffered by Arabs
This flag was first adopted in 1958 when the country became independent from European influence and decided to form the United Arab Republic with Egypt. The country changed its flag three times between 1961 and 1980 before settling on the current design. However, this may soon change with the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian rebels flag
On Sunday, as rebels announced on Syrian state television that a 50-year-old family dynasty had been overthrown, green-white-black-red opposition flags were seen across the country. Celebrations were echoed in Germany, Türkiye and Greece, where cheering crowds of thousands waved Syrian opposition flags.
Supporters of rebels who stormed the Syrian embassy in Athens hoisted the Syrian opposition flag from the roof. Police detained four people, however, as they hoisted the flag, Reuters reported.
Rebel flag and ‘liberty’
However, the rebel flag is not at all different from the current Syrian flag. It is green at the top, white in the middle and black at the bottom and has three red stars in the middle.
This flag is a modified version of the independence flag that was first used in 1932 when Syria gained independence from France. The Syrian opposition supported the flag representing independence from the Assad government.
Russian news agencies, citing a Kremlin source, announced on Sunday evening that Bashar al-Assad and his family were in Moscow. Russia has granted them “asylum on humanitarian grounds,” the source said.
Following the overthrow of his regime, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of the Islamic coalition that led the offensive, was quoted in a statement read on television as saying: “We are determined to achieve the goals of our revolution. We continue to work with determination… We are committed to completing the path we started in 2011.”
In 2011, Assad cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protesters, triggering a complex conflict in which foreign forces became involved.
Although there has been no communication from Assad or his party regarding his whereabouts, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people”.
