When the black flag of Jihad was seen waving from a union office in Sweden, some people raised concerns. A spokesman assured all that it was just a misunderstanding, and the flag would be removed as soon as Eid (holiday) was over.
http://vladtepesblog.com/2013/10/18/swedish-union-office-flies-islamic-declaration-of-war-flag-from-its-building-facade/
Here is some background on the black flag.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Standard
The wording of the inscription on the flag, the shahada, in and of itself, is not so troubling.
"There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God."
However, the symbolism goes beyond the words themselves.
What is troubling is who uses the flag and for what purpose. For example, the swastika, in its original form, was not troubling. It was when it was adopted by the Nazis in Germany that it took on its now-sinister meaning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
Given the uses of this flag and where it has shown up, you can't blame people for reacting negatively to it when it appears in the West.
If the Shahada is all that is written on it, the only legitimate objection would be flying it on a black flag, rather than on the more traditional green flag. I infer that the black background is the flag of the jihadis.
ReplyDeleteI recall in November 2001, when holiday stamps came out, I made a point of buying some EID stamps, as well as some madonna and child stamps, because I thought it was important for Americans to affirm that Islam has as much place in our country as any other religion. That's a slap in the face of al Qaeda, if you think about it, which many were not bothering to do at the time.