Last modified: 2022-12-17 by ian macdonald
Keywords: islam | shi'a | shi'ite | kerbala |
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Spanish Television mentioned yesterday that shortly before the outbreak
of the war, a team of theirs working in Iraq had made a long report on the Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala
(currently under siege), where the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Imam Husayn is buried. The
Shrine of Imam Husayn,
a large and highly decorated mosque was shown, flying a large, plain red flag from the top of the highest dome.
No other flags were visible over the Shrine. However, another page on Kerbala [no longer on-line] shows a white
flag with a black inscription that appears to be a Shahada (Muslim creed), and the caption, "Long live the
banner of Islam which was saved by the holy blood of the Martyrs in Kerbala."
Santiago Dotor, 03 April 2003
Lots of green, red, black, blue and white flags on the Shi'ite march to Karbala.
Francisco Santos, 21 April 2003
image located by Bill Garrison, 25 November 2019
Source:
https://ahlulbayt.tv/blog/soaring-to-the-highest-peak-of-africa/
Caption: Atop Mt. Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania) a group of Shiite Muslim mountain
climbers raise a flag honoring Shiite Imam Ali previously flown at the "Holy
Shrine of Imam Ali" located in Najaf, Iraq; , c. July 2016
Bill Garrison,
25 November 2019
image located by Bill Garrison, 25 November 2019
Source:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/515169644849335411/?lp=true
Caption: A
flag is raised at Shiite Imam Ali's shrine in Najaf, Iraq, on the occasion of
Eid-e-Ghadeer. Eid al-Ghadir is a Shia feast, and is considered to be among the
"significant" feasts of Shia Islam. The Eid is held on 18 Dhu Al-Hijjah at the
time when the Islamic prophet Muhammad was said to have appointed Ali ibn Abi
Talib as his successor. [an annual event]
Bill Garrison,
25 November 2019
images located by Bill Garrison, 2 September 2022
As the auspicious occasion of "Eid Al-Ghadir" is approaching, in a ceremony
in Najaf, Iraq, the flag of Ghadir was raised on the dome of Shia-Muslim Imam
Ali (AS) holy-shrine mausoleum. On the flag is written "Man Kunto Mawlah Fahaza
Aliun Mawlah" ["Whomever I am his Mawla (master) then 'Ali is his Mawla
(master)"]; c. 15 July 2022.
https://en.shafaqna.com/271256/najaf-flag-of-ghadir-raised-on-dome-of-imam-ali-as-holy-shrine-photos/
https://www.almizab.com/?id=8&sid=4059
Bill Garrison, 2 September 2022
Since the "مهرجان الغدير الدولي" (English: Al Ghadeer International Festival)
is organized by the Badr Organization and Alghadeer TV (a tv channel owned by
the former), we should include these attachments in the "Shi'ite Religious
Flags" section. It was first held in 2007. It is one of the biggest annual
festivals of the media, in which some personalities, institutions, satellite
channels, radio stations, etc.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Ghadeer_International_Festival
It
seems either there are flags for each festival or different variants with no
relation one to another design-wise.
For additional information go to Al
Ghadeer International Festival (official website):
http://alghadeertv.net/archives/category/mehrajan
Esteban Rivera,
2 September 2022
image located by Bill Garrison, 25 November 2019
Source:
https://en.imna.ir/photo/327076/Marching-pilgrims-from-Karbala-to-Najaf-on-Arbaeen
Caption: Shiite Muslims walking toward Shiite Imam Hussein's shrine on 40th
day of his martyrdom (Arbaeen) from Najaf, Iraq to Karbala, Iraq. [an annual
event]
Bill Garrison,
25 November 2019
image located by Bill Garrison, 27 February 2021
Source:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/681521356091292094/
Caption: a
red/white "Qamar Bani Hashim" flag; c. Sept. 2017. A Shiite-Muslim flag with the
slogan: "Ya Qamar Bani Hashim", which implores that the spirit of "Qamar Bani
Hashim" hear the pleas of oppressed Shiite Muslims and ask Allah for his support
in their defense. "Qamar Bani Hashim" is also known as "Al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi
Talib" and "Abu al-Fadhl", and was a son of Ali (who was the first Shia Imam and
the fourth Caliph of Sunni Muslims). Abbas/Qamar was killed c. Oct. 680 CE at
the Battle of Karbala where he served as the flag carrier for Imam Hussain. He
is buried in Karbala, Iraq. In Dec. 2020 it was revealed that Iran had
established a new Popular Mobilization Force (Arabic: الحشد الشعبي ... al-Ḥashd
ash-Shaʿbī) militia called "Qamar Bani Hashim" in the village of Hatla in
eastern Syria; the militia is comprised mainly of Iranian and Afghani fighters
and Syrian residents who have adopted Shi'ism.
Bill Garrison, 27
February 2021
An incident in Baghdad reported in the Washington Post of August 14, 2003, ("Flag Is Flash Point In A Baghdad Slum: Perceived Insult Ignites Anti-U.S. Unrest," by Anthony Shadid, p. 11) has some interesting information on religious flags displayed by Iraqi Shi'ites. The August 13 incident arose when a U.S. military helicopter knocked down a flag that Shi'ites had placed on a transmission tower in Sadr City (formerly Saddam City), the huge, Shi'ite populated slum in Baghdad. US commanders have apologized for the incident, which led to the killing of one Iraqi. The article mentions the following flags:
image by Eugene Ipavec, 23 Nov 2010
A flag sold on Ebay. The seller claims that his army team discovered that this fabric-banner was used as a 'battle flag' by the Iraqi-Shia-cleric 'Sadr Army' uprising against the U.S.-led military occupation forces in Iraq. True, M. Sadr (a young Shia religious-political leader friendly with the Iranian fundamentalist government) was also rebelling against the Shia-lead government of Iraq.
Anyway, this fabric item isn't so much of a
'flag' as it is a portion cut from a long bolt of cloth with a
repeating religious design. While I don't read Arabic, from my other
insights, this design appears to honor the tomb-shrine of the major
Shia 'saint': Imam Hussain/Husayin -- who was killed at the battle of
Kerbala/Karbala about 730 C.E. Perhaps this American soldier/unit
tore it off of some makeshift flagpole, or perhaps merely ripped it
down off some wall (because there appear to be tear marks in the upper
left & right corners of this item). Anyway, some Shia militiaman
might have just grabbed this (or any) religious fabric and made an
impromptu "flag."
Bill Garrison, 23 Nov 2010
image by Eugene Ipavec, 12 Dec 2010
A flag sold on Ebay. The seller claims his U.S. Army unit captured it during some
battle/raid involving Shia militants who were opposing the U.S.-led
military 'occupation' of Iraq. As I mentioned in an earlier email,
this piece of fabric contains some slogans honoring (most likely) some
Shia religious figure (saint), such as their Imam Hussain/Husyain
(depending upon your preferred spelling of Arabic words).
Interesting, this fabric/flag uses 3 different styles or script of
Arabic. Normally, this fabric comes from a bolt of cloth (as in
making a dress, etc.), from which you cut off the portion you want --
to hang in a mosque or at home. I'm not too sure how 'picky' you want
to be in defining what a 'flag' is; if a piece of design-cloth is
carried/waved by a militiaman does it make the fabric a 'flag'? I
suppose some enthusiastic militant could have torn this down off a
wall and tacked it to some makeshift flag-pole to taunt the soldiers.
Bill Garrison, 23 Nov 2010
image located by Bill Garrison, 18 October 2017
Flag, Iraq, Shia Muslim, Popular Mobilization Militia Unit, outside Kirkuk,
c. Oct. 2017. Several different flags are shown. I believe that neither white
flag refers to a specific militia unit, but is a generic Shiite Muslim flag that
can be used in many different Shia religious parades. In general, these
religious-oriented flags are beseeching Shia martyr Imam Husain/Hussein (killed
at "Battle of Karbala/Kerbala") to help some Shiite cause in overcoming some
adversary.
Source:
http://www.al-monitor.com/
Bill Garrison, 18 October 2017
image located by Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
From
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-flags-rages-divided-iraq:
Iraqi
Shiite militants wave flags near the town of Jurf al-Sakhr, Iraq on 30 October
2014. I believe the top green flag shows Hazrat Abbas, the left black one shows
Imam Husain, while I cannot translate the yellow one.
Bill Garrison,
3 September 2021
image located by Bill Garrison,, 11 November 2019
Caption: BAGHDAD, IRAQ: An Iraqi Shiite Muslim fixes a huge black flag beside
colorful ones in a street of Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Kazemiya 22
February 2004. Muslim Shiites in Iraq started preparations to mark Ashura, the
day when Imam al-Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammed was killed in Karbala,
100 kms south of Baghdad, in 680 AD. The Shiites will freely mark Ashura 02
March 2004 for the first time since the ouster of Saddam Hussein. AFP PHOTO/Marwan
NAAMANI (Photo credit should read MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP via Getty Images)
The middle line reads: "Ya, Hussain" or "Oh, Hussain", which is an appeal to
Shia religious martyr Imam Hussain (sometimes spelled "al-Hussein" depending
upon Arabic or Farsi) to come to the assistance of oppressed Shiite Muslims.
source:
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/an-iraqi-shiite-muslim-fixes-a-huge-black-flag-beside-news-photo/3003467
Bill Garrison, 11 November 2019
image located by Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
From
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/shiite-muslim-pilgrim-walks-carrying-a-flag-depicting-the-news-photo/1053759518?adppopup=true
A Shiite flag depicting the Muslim Prophet Mohammed's cousin Imam Ali
ibn Abi Taleb (center) and his two sons Imam Hussein/Husain (right) and his
brother, Abbas (left with the hat feathers), near Baghdad on the way towards the
central holy Iraqi city of Karbala on October 26, 2018, ahead of the Arbaeen
religious festival which marks the 40th day after Ashura, which commemorates the
seventh century killing and martyrdom of the revered Imam Hussein/Husain. (Photo
by Ahmad AL-RUBAYE / AFP) (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via
Getty Images)
Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
image located by Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
From
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/shiite-muslim-pilgrims-march-from-baghdad-to-the-shrine-news-photo/108214180?adppopup=true
A Shiite-Muslim religious flag depicting Imam Husain/Hussein; c. Jan.
2011 near Karbala, Iraq.
Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
image located by Bill Garrison, 23 February 2022
From
https://imamhussain.org/english/newsandreports/19718
There are two flags (with the Iraq national flag in the middle) that
appear to be related to the [Shia-Muslim] "Imam Hussein Holy Shrine" at a
conference on March 28, 2017 at the Karbala, Iraq shrine. The red flag appears
to show a yellow logo of the shrine, while the green flag has a "khamsa" or "hamza"
(hand logo) of the Husayn/Hussain family. The "Imam Husayn Shrine" or the "Place
of Imam Husayn ibn Ali" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imam_Husayn_Shrine,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Arabic: Maqām al-ʾImām al-Ḥusayn
ibn ʿAlīy) .
Bill Garrison, 23 February 2022
image located by Bill Garrison, 16 November 2019/p>
Flag, Iraq, Shia Muslim militia. A Shia flag atop an Iraq army MRAP vehicle
on Tel Keppe frontline; Oct. 30, 2016.
Source:
https://twitter.com/sfrantzman/status/792705933788975104
Bill Garrison, 16 November 2019
image located by Bill Garrison, 16 November 2019
Similar poster showing the 12 imams of the "Twelver Shiites" in a V-shape
row.
Bill Garrison, 16 November 2019
image located by Bill Garrison, 27 July 2021
From
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/04/mourners-chant-america-is-the-great-satan-over-death-of-soleimani.html,
caption: white-field flag with orange trim and slogan with "bleeding sword"
image --- usually associated with Shia-Muslims. Seen in Baghdad, Iraq; 4 Jan.
2020 during funeral procession for assassinated Iranian military commander Qasem
Soleimani. Possibly affiliated with Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary militia force.
Bill Garrison, 27 July 2021
image located by Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
From
https://ashuraaa.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/ashura-006/. The red slogan on the
flag reads "Ya Husain" ["Oh, Husain"], which is an appeal that he intercede
favorably with the flag holder. He was the third Shia Imam, and who was martyred
in Karbala, Iraq c. Oct. 680 CE. The faintly readable wording above "Ya Husain"
is a famous hadith of Prophet Muhammad that reads: "Inn al-Husain misbahul-huda
wa safinatun-najat" that symbolically means that "Husain is the lighthouse of
Islamic guidance for the lost ships [souls} and he is their rescue ship."
Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
See also: Yā Hussain flag in Iran
image located by Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
From
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/iranian-people-with-flag-royalty-free-image/1193975167?adppopup=true
A red-field religious flag carried my Shiite-Muslims throughout the
Middle East. The yellow-green slogan on the flag reads: "Ya Abal-Fazl Al-Abbas".
Above "Abbas" there is a barely discernable slogan that reads: "Qamar
Bani-Hashim". "Qamar Bani-Hashim" means "Moon of Bani-Hashim Tribe" near Quraish/Mecca,
Saudi Arabia. In Arabic literature a "handsome man" is called "Qamar". The "Man
in the Moon" expression symbolizes a beautiful face. In Shiite theology, al-Abbas
was known as having a beautiful face, hence, his having the nickname of "Qamar".
Al-Abbas was the brother of the third Shiite Imam Husain/Hussein, and al-Abbas
was the flag bearer of Husain's army at the Battle of Karbala -- where both were
martyred (c. 680 CE). Essentially, this flag is an appeal by its carrier asking
al-Abbas to spiritually intervene in supporting the Shiite flag bearer's cause
in overcoming some disorder.
Bill Garrison, 3 September 2021
image located by Bill Garrison, 13 November 2022
From
https://www.al-monitor.com
A white-field flag with a facial drawing of
Sayyid "Mohammad Mohammed Sadiq Al-Sadr" (or 'Sadir'} {b. 1943 - d. 1999}. He
was a Grand Ayatollah for Shia-Muslims in Iraq. During the reign of Iraq Pres.
Saddam Hussein (dictator: 1979-2003, and a Sunni-Muslim), Sadiq called for
government reform and asked for the release of detained Shia leaders. Saddam saw
Sadiq as a potential political threat, and allegedly had a "hit squad"
assassinate Sadiq and two of his sons on 23 March 1999. His youngest son,
"Muqtada al-Sadr" survived, (b. 1974) would oppose the U.S. intervention in Iraq
(c. 2003-2011) and later (c.2018-2022) was an influential political leader in
Baghdad. Below his portrait his name "Sadr" {in Arabic} appears, and the red
lettering reads: "the honor of the Arabs." This flag was paraded on March 9,
2022 to denounce rising prices of basic food items in Al-Haboby/Al-Habboubi
Square in the center of the city of Nasiriyah in the southern Dhi Qar province
of Iraq. While the flag honors Sadiq Al-Sadr and is more of a religious
Shia-Muslim flag, here it is being used as a "protest" flag against an
ineffective government.
Bill Garrison, 13 November 2022
An article in the Independent contains a slide show with several flags with
Shia connections:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/isis-mosul-liberation-is-not-what-it-seems-a7398521.html#
David Phillips, 11 June 2016
The images below were seen at the attack on Mosul:
image located by Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2016
image located by Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2016
image located by Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2016
image located by Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2016
image located by Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2016
This set of pictures takes place during the Battle of Mosul (2016), which was
preceded by the Mosul Offensive (2016) in which multiple parties take place
(Sunni, Shiite, Kurds, Turkmen and Christians) as well as a multi national
coalition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Joint_Task_Force_%E2%80%93_Operation_Inherent_Resolve
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_intervention_against_ISIL#3_December_2014).
Esteban Rivera, 8 November 2016
There are many different Shia-religious flags that are paraded around by
Shia/Shiite-Muslims. Today there are hundreds of them, usually with just
slightly different images of their main imam/saint: Imam Hussein ibn Ali. The
artwork of these flags is limited only by the creativity and imagination of Shia
artists. Hence, I am somewhat reluctant to submit any more of their religious
flags, but their artistry is interesting.
Bill Garrison, 12
September 2022
image located by Bill Garrison, 12 September 2022
From
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/09/iran-shuts-borders-iraq-millions-shiite-pilgrims-arrive-arbaeen#ixzz7eacEXHSn,
a black-field flag bearing an image of the Shia-Muslim Imam Hussein bin Ali
[with the Arabic slogan "Yalatharat al-Hussein" ("Those who want to avenge the
blood of Hussein")] carried while en route to Karbala, Iraq from Nasiriyah in
Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province on Sept. 5, 2022, ahead of the religious
holiday of "Arbaeen". The holy day commemorates the 40th day after the "Day of
Ashura": the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson
of the Prophet Muhammad. 2022 is the first year since the outbreak of the
coronavirus pandemic that Shiite pilgrims can enter Iraq in large numbers and
without restrictions. Its impact/importance: About 5 million pilgrims have
entered Iraq so far [early Sept. 2022], and the number is rising significantly.
The Iranian Interior Ministry announced that all borders with Iraq were closed
today [9 Sept 2022] and called on Iranians to refrain from traveling to Iraq due
to Iraq's inability to receive any more pilgrims. It also called on all Iranian
pilgrims inside Iraq to return to Iran as soon as they finish the ceremony to
open space for others to attend.
Bill Garrison, 12 S