New Iraqi Flag Meets With Public Disapproval
Nice try, guys. I'm sure that your heart was in the right place, but I'm not sure this was quite what anyone had in mind.
BAGHDAD, April 26 -- It was supposed to be the perfect symbol for a new and unified Iraq: an Islamic crescent on a field of pure white, with two blue stripes representing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and a third yellow stripe to symbolize the country's Kurdish minority.
But the new national flag, presented Monday after an artistic competition sponsored by the Iraqi Governing Council, appears to have met with widespread public disapproval here -- in part because of its design and in part because of the increasing unpopularity of the U.S.-appointed council.
In interviews in several Baghdad neighborhoods, a variety of residents expressed strong negative reactions to the flag, which was reproduced in most daily newspapers. In particular, people objected to the pale blue color of the crescent and stripes, saying it was identical to the dominant color in the flag of Israel, a Jewish state.
Worst of all, it's just butt-ugly. Yuck. On top of that, the people who it is supposed to represent hate it. I wonder if anyone bothered to give any thought to the sensibilities of Iraqis?
Once the Americans are finally gone, does anyone really think this flag will last? Doubtful. I imagine that an Iraqi government will come up with something that they can actually be proud of. I'm not at all sure that this is it.
